Full-Time
Solar Cell Manufacturing Manager
Updated on 7/31/2026
Solestial
11-50 employees
Mass-produced silicon solar panels for space
No salary listed
Tempe, AZ, USA
In Person
On-site role based in Tempe, Arizona; no remote work.
 Operations & Logistics (2) |
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- Bachelor degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics or related fields.
- 10+ years proven experience in engineering roles, with a strong technical background.
- 3+ years of management experience.
- Ability to work in a class 10,000 clean room environment.
- Ability to conduct PV cell & module processing wearing the necessary PPE.
- Ability to work in a dynamic environment.
- Strong analytical skills, basic data analysis and presentation, clear communication.
- Good mentoring and communications skills.
- Team player.
- Positive attitude.
- Run baseline recipes for pilot production lots.
- Optimize process steps to minimize yield loss.
- Partner with process engineers to maintain equipment performance.
- Develop and maintain standard operating procedures and documentation.
- Transition processes to large-scale production tools.
- Coordinate with material vendors to support production schedules.
- Identify and implement cost-reduction opportunities.
- Train technicians and future tool operators.
- Uphold safety standards and proactively prevent incidents.
- Maintain a clean and organized work environment.
- Develop a strong understanding of end-to-end solar cell and module processes and design features.
- Work in collaboration with other process leads to achieve required performance specifications (efficiency, cost, reliability)
- Previous experience with photovoltaic solar modules or flexible circuits (R&D, manufacturing, reliability) is a strong plus.
Solestial develops silicon-based solar panels for space, focusing on low-cost, high-efficiency, radiation-hardened power sources for satellites. Its panels are designed for easy integration into diverse satellite architectures and are produced at scale via a proprietary manufacturing process. This makes the technology cheaper and more scalable than traditional space solar options, helping satellite manufacturers and operators in both private and public sectors reduce power costs. The company aims to disrupt the space power market by offering affordable, scalable solar solutions that enable new space-based services and applications.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$29.1M
Headquarters
Tempe, Arizona
Founded
2013
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See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- York acquisition validates Solestial’s strategic value to prime contractors.
- SpaceWERX and SBIR awards prove government demand for smallsat arrays.
- Automated manufacturing lowers cost versus III-V multijunction solar products.
What critics are saying
- Regulatory review can block York’s acquisition before closing in Q2 2026.
- Meyer Burger disruption exposed brittle outsourced manufacturing and transition risk.
- Launch failures or radiation misses would destroy Solestial’s sole-product credibility.
What makes Solestial unique
- Self-healing silicon solar cells reduce radiation damage under sunlight.
- Ultrathin flexible modules replace heavy glass and composite substrates.
- 2026 U.S. wafer-to-module manufacturing strengthens domestic supply-chain control.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Disability Insurance
Life Insurance
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 4%1 year growth
↑ 6%2 year growth
↑ 4%Solestial acquires Meyer Burger equipment to strengthen US manufacturing. TEMPE, Ariz., January 21, 2026 - Solestial, Inc. ("Solestial"), the solar energy company for space, today announced that it has acquired manufacturing equipment from Meyer Burger (Germany) GmbH ("Meyer Burger"), a Swiss headquartered terrestrial solar manufacturer. Under the purchase agreement, Solestial acquired additional solar manufacturing equipment from Meyer Burger's Hohenstain-Ernstthal facility. The strategic acquisition enables Solestial to completely process its self-healing silicon solar technology from wafer to cell in house, significantly expanding its manufacturing capabilities and supply chain control. Solestial plans to transition the limited solar cell manufacturing currently conducted in Germany to the United States, resulting in a fully integrated cell to module solar manufacturing operation based in the United States. "This agreement delivers a critical manufacturing capability and strengthens the resilience of our supply chain as we scale," said Margo de Naray, CEO of Solestial. "Our 30,000 square foot facility is fully operational and commissioned for production. With this agreement and other actions underway, we are building an American based supply chain, with 100 percent of our manufacturing in the United States within the next year. At a time when global supply chains face increasing uncertainty, we are proud to have direct control over a critical input, abundant and reliable power for all space applications." Solestial and Meyer Burger entered a strategic manufacturing partnership in August 2024. Under that partnership, Meyer Burger received Solestial's proprietary ultrathin and radiation-hardened silicon wafers, applied its silicon heterojunction technology, and returned processed wafers to Solestial's Tempe, Arizona facility for metallization, finishing, and integration into flexible solar power modules. The partnership was disrupted when the German subsidiaries of Meyer Burger, facing significant pressure from low-cost Chinese photovoltaics in the United States and European markets, filed for insolvency in May 2025. The company subsequently halted operations at its Hohenstain-Ernstthal facility, where Solestial's wafers had been processed. About Solestial Solestial exists to deliver abundant energy in space. The company's breakthrough technology is a silicon solar cell engineered for space to self-cure radiation damage under sunlight at operating temperatures as low as 65°C. Solestial solar cells are packaged in an ultrathin, low-mass, flexible solar power module designed to withstand up to 10 years in a variety of destinations in space. The flexible solar power modules can be produced on automated machines resulting in costs lower than traditional III-V multijunction solar products. From today's satellite constellations and research projects to tomorrow's lunar settlements and services in space, Solestial's innovative technology represents a paradigm shift for space solar; an affordable, scalable solution to power sustained development. Solestial is a U.S. company manufacturing solar cells and flexible solar power modules in Tempe, Arizona. To learn more, visit the Solestial website and follow Solestial on social media.
Innovation also extends into niche applications: Perovskia Solar, a Vaud-based Empa spin-off, is bringing perovskite solar cells to IoT devices, while Meyer Burger is partnering with US-based Solestial on ultra-thin, radiation-resistant solar cells for space missions.
Solestial, a space solar energy startup, has won a $1.2 million SpaceWERX contract to develop a novel solar array for small satellites.
Solestial, a manufacturer of lightweight, radiation-hardened silicon PV products for space, has received $1.2 million to fund the development of a novel solar array wing concept for small satellites with potential for multiple orbit use.
To date, Solestial has been awarded more than $7 million dollars in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts from the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.