Senior R&D Technician, Space PV Prototyping

At Tandem PV, we are a team of people who are passionate about building a more sustainable world by bringing cost effective solar panels onto the market. We’re scaling metal-halide perovskite solar technology to make best-in-class mechanically stacked tandem modules.   We have built efficient, durable cells, monolithic multi-cell submodules, and packaged modules with our scalable, low-cost process. Our next focus is expanding our team to bring our product to market at scale.

Job Summary:

As a Senior R&D Technician, Space PV Prototyping, you will work with our engineers and technicians to build prototype solar devices for spacecraft on ultrathin and flexible substrates: preparing substrates, running deposition, coating and patterning tools, laminating covers, and measuring results. Much of what you handle is a fraction of a millimeter thick and hard to replace, so careful execution, exact adherence to written procedures and meticulous records are central to the role.

Your work produces the consistent, well-documented sample sets that our development and test campaigns depend on.

To be great at this role, you will have:

Clean, inspect, photograph and log substrates, and keep accurate inventory of limited, high-value materials.

Load and run sputter and evaporation processes, including bake-outs and controlled pump-down and vent sequences.

Coat and thermally process device layers to fixed recipes, and flag anything that looks different from previous runs.

Set up and run laser patterning steps, then inspect the result under a microscope and measure electrical isolation.

Laminate cover materials, including very thin ones, and inspect for voids and edge-seal quality; handle ultrathin substrates and release them from carriers once formally qualified.

Perform routine metrology: sheet-resistance mapping, transmittance, profilometry, optical microscopy, luminescence imaging and current-voltage measurement.

Keep run logs and per-part travelers (tools, recipes, temperatures, vacuum cycles, operator, timestamps), and prepare and ship sample batches to external test partners.

Build, label, mount and wire coupon sets for test campaigns and exposure chambers, and perform routine tool care, including early warning when a tool starts to drift.

Qualifications:

• Steady hands and patience for delicate manual work; this is the single most important qualification for the role.
• Meticulous documentation habits: detailed, legible and consistent notes of processing conditions.
• Follows written procedures exactly, and speaks up when a procedure does not match what is actually in front of you.
• Problem-solving orientation and the ability to work autonomously once trained, as part of a team in a scientific or technical environment.
• Adaptability across a wide range of laboratory tasks and willingness to learn new concepts, tools and measurements.
• Comfortable with basic laboratory arithmetic, unit conversion, and reading a specification or drawing.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, including working in a cleanroom environment while wearing required PPE and gowning; working on your feet for extended periods as required by laboratory activities; occasionally lifting, carrying, or moving materials weighing up to approximately 25 pounds; and safely working in laboratory and manufacturing environments where solvents, chemicals, and Class 4 laser systems may be present. Employees will be required to follow applicable safety procedures and complete required safety training.
• Preferred Experience: Laboratory, cleanroom, semiconductor, display or precision manufacturing background, including handling thin glass, silicon wafers or display panels.
• Operation of vacuum systems, thermal evaporation or sputter deposition, solution coating (blade or slot-die), or laser tools.
• Experience in an ISO 9001, AS9100 or similarly controlled environment, or with fine assembly, soldering, precision dispensing or hermetic sealing.

This position may require access to technology and/or technical data subject to U.S. export-control laws. Any eligibility or access requirements will be applied in accordance with applicable U.S. export-control laws, regulations, licenses or authorizations, government-contract requirements, and applicable anti-discrimination laws.

Founded in 2016 by Stanford PhD graduates Colin Bailie and Chris Eberspacher, TandemPV is pioneering the next generation of solar technology through high-efficiency, mechanically stacked perovskite-silicon tandem panels. As an early leader in this technology, we're focused on delivering significantly greater power output than conventional solar panels while reducing costs and advancing American solar manufacturing.

Headquartered in Fremont, California, TandemPV has grown to approximately 65 employees and operates a 65,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing facility. With more than $100 million in funding raised, we're accelerating the transition from breakthrough research to commercial-scale manufacturing. Our experienced leadership team has successfully executed 10 federal and state-funded projects and continues to advance strategic partnerships, product development, and manufacturing innovation.

Recognized as the 2025 Best Pre-Commercial Venture by the Industry Growth Forum and named among America's Top GreenTech Companies by TIME for three consecutive years, TandemPV is helping shape the future of clean energy.

We're building a team of talented, driven individuals who thrive on solving complex challenges, developing innovative technologies, and turning ambitious ideas into real-world products. At TandemPV, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact as we scale our technology, expand U.S. manufacturing, and bring next-generation solar solutions to market.