Critical Lift Engineer - Starship Ground Transport

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Starbase (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Project Engineer for Critical Lift (Starship) at Starbase, TX. The role focuses on planning, analyzing, and executing critical lifts and heavy-haul transports for Starship and Super Heavy components, ensuring safety, compliance, and reliability.

You’ll design lift plans and coordinate across vehicle structures, manufacturing, and logistics teams. Responsibilities include on-site supervision, risk assessments, and collaboration with vendors and internal teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with mechanical and structural hardware.
• Preferred: 1+ years of crane lifting, rigging, or transport operations.

Responsibilities

• Plan, analyze, and execute critical lifts and heavy-haul transports for large-scale hardware.
• Develop lift plans, rigging designs, and transport configurations using CAD/FEA tools.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to assess mass properties, rigging, and load paths.
• Conduct risk assessments and fatigue/stress analyses for lifts exceeding standard capacities.
• Oversee on-site operations, including pre-lift dry runs and real-time monitoring.
• Interface with external vendors for equipment rentals and oversee contracted operations.
• Maintain documentation for regulatory audits and lessons learned.

Skills

Crane operations

Rigging

Transport planning

Strong communication

Root-cause analysis

High-pressure environment

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master’s degree in engineering

Tools

SOLIDWORKS

Siemens NX

ANSYS

FEMAP

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Project Engineer for Critical Lift (Starship) at Starbase, TX. The role focuses on planning, analyzing, and executing critical lifts and heavy-haul transports for Starship and Super Heavy components, ensuring safety, compliance, and reliability.

You’ll design lift plans and coordinate across vehicle structures, manufacturing, and logistics teams. Responsibilities include on-site supervision, risk assessments, and collaboration with vendors and internal teams.