Build Reliability Engineer (Falcon/Starship Valves & Components)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term incentives

Medical, vision, dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Build Reliability Engineer to own the reliability of flight hardware from design through production and operation. You will develop pull‑through processes for welding, NDE, cleanliness, and final assembly while driving continuous improvement across multiple work centers.

You will partner with design and manufacturing to define key characteristics, prototype testing, and inspection planning, with a focus on reducing risk and improving manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field is required.
• 1+ years in a manufacturing/quality/design engineering role.

Responsibilities

• Develop manufacturing, integration, assembly, welding, NDE, cleanliness, and checkout processes from the ground up.
• Identify reliability gaps and implement solutions to improve reliability without slowing build rate.
• Create quality plans for flight hardware with design and manufacturing teams, including inspection planning.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Collaboration

Problem solving

Hands-on engineer

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or another STEM field

Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, or electrical engineering

Tools

Lean methodologies

Measurement systems analysis

Design of experiments

Statistical process control

PFMEA / APQP

Metrology

Job description

Build Reliability Engineer (Falcon/Starship Valves & Components)

Hawthorne, CA

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

BUILD RELIABILITY ENGINEER (FALCON/STARSHIP VALVES AND COMPONENTS)

The Build Reliability organization at SpaceX is an inclusive, inter-disciplinary team that is committed to the reliability of flight components and production assemblies. Your breadth of hardware ownership as a Build Reliability Engineer will be immense as you collaborate with other core groups at SpaceX, guiding the hardware from design to production and operation. You will employ “reliability by any means necessary,” stretching your expertise in fabrication methods, work instructions, tooling design, inspection procedures, data gathering/visualization, and broad collaboration. You will build new processes from the ground up, and routinely grade/improve execution of existing processes, driving continuous production improvement and ultimately be responsible for build‑induced vehicle risk. Driving decisions through data is critical; for new hardware this may require defining what data needs to be collected to inform future decisions. As issues arise you will need to have the ability to deep‑dive problems to understand the root cause and implement robust corrective actions. You thrive in a hands‑on environment and will spend time in the office, on the factory floor, and in the lab to execute on the mission to make humanity interplanetary.

Responsibilities

• Develop manufacturing, integration, assembly, welding, NDE, cleanliness, and checkout processes from the ground up, then enforce consistency across different work centers.
• Identify current reliability gaps in the manufacturing/design process, ideate on solutions and implement to continue to improve reliability without slowing down build rate.
• Partner with design engineering and manufacturing teams through product development and production to create quality plans for flight hardware, including identification of key characteristics, prototype testing for functionality and manufacturability, first article and detailed inspection planning, and consideration of past failures and lessons learned.
• Monitor the success of products and processes through production ramp‑up using a suite of quality and analysis tools.
• Conduct regular build quality reviews to ensure that design intent is achieved and well communicated; identify opportunities for risk reduction and removal of complexity in designs and processes to improve manufacturability, collaborating with integrated product teams to drive improvements and address high‑impact and repeating non‑conformances.
• Investigate failures in production, test and flight, identifying and mitigating the immediate and underlying root causes in order to reduce risk and improve reliability of designs and processes.
• Design and implement tooling for work access, mechanical/avionics/propulsion testing, build fixturing, lifting & rigging, and fluids.
• Define and document inspection requirements and procedures.
• Contain suspect or known non‑conforming product, providing guidance to quality inspectors, technicians, shop supervisors and engineers to assist in quarantining and rework activities across multiple sites.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or another STEM related field.
• 1+ years in a manufacturing, quality and/or design engineering role (student project team or internship experience qualifies).

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with the build, assembly, or integration of structures, avionics, valves, fluid system components, actuators, thermal protection systems, or other aerospace components.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, enthusiasm for the team’s spirit of innovation and mission of improving reliability in cutting‑edge technology.
• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, or electrical engineering.
• Demonstrated application of process controls in high volume manufacturing, test, and quality environment.
• Knowledge of welding requirements, demonstrated experience implementing process improvements for welding processes and implementing process controls for both automated and manual welding processes.
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem solving approaches.
• Experience with the build, assembly, or integration of structures, avionics, valves, fluid system components, actuators, thermal protection systems, or other aerospace components.
• Experience developing or supporting any of the following products/processes:
• Welding (electron beam (EB)/TIG).

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours, weekends, and offsite as needed.

Compensation and Benefits

Pay range:

Build Reliability Engineer/Level I: $100,000.00 - $117,500.00 per year.

Build Reliability Engineer/Level II: $115,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year.

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long‑term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.