Hardware Reliability Engineer, Mechanical (Starshield)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Bonuses

Medical, vision and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Hardware Reliability Engineer, Mechanical (Starshield) to ensure reliability of satellites and support cross‑functional teams from design to manufacturing.

You will lead root cause analysis, drive corrective actions, and apply statistical process control and DOE methods to improve yield and robustness in high‑volume production while operating under potential security clearances.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace or related engineering field.
• 1+ years of experience in process, manufacturing, or reliability engineering (internships/co-ops ok).
• Lean and continuous improvement mindset beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot, perform root-cause analysis, and implement corrective actions for Starshield hardware.
• Lead containment and quarantine activities for non-conforming products.
• Drive CAPA using data to identify failure modes and improve processes.

Skills

Python

C

SQL

Data analysis

Automation

Statistical process control

Design of Experiments

Top Secret clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other engineering discipline

Master’s degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

PFMEA

Control plans

Measurement systems analysis

Design of experiments

Job description

Hardware Reliability Engineer, Mechanical (Starshield)

Hawthorne, CA

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out 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.

HARDWARE RELIABILITY ENGINEER, MECHANICAL (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.

As a Hardware Reliability Engineer for Starshield, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and performance of our satellites. You will work on identifying, analyzing, and resolving hardware failures along with implementing process improvements across the factory to improve the robustness and longevity of our hardware. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, including mechanical, electrical, software, and supply chain, to enhance the overall reliability of the Starshield hardware.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for troubleshooting, root cause, failure investigations, and corrective actions for Starshield production non-conforming hardware
• Extreme owner for containing suspect or known non-conforming product, driving root cause investigation progress and providing regular updates to technicians, production leadership, and engineering to assist in quarantine and rework activities
• Drive corrective action to products not meeting design specifications through data driven decisions using yield and defect monitoring to identify common failure modes
• Work closely with the respective Integration & Test engineers for your products to keep a close feedback loop improving manufacturing processes and test coverage
• Maximize return on investment for test and inspection processes, determining where to apply lean process checks which ensure that criteria are objective and that reliability goals are consistently met
• Identify areas for design and manufacturing improvements through new product development cycles, improving final yield by applying best practices to designs and establishing repeatable process control
• Maintain thorough documentation of failure analysis findings, test results, and corrective actions
• Drive corrective actions to prevent factory escapes of defective hardware
• Support the shop floor in continuous improvement and the advancing of an autonomous production system through PFMEA reviews, improved control and optimization of critical processes, and removal of redundant or unnecessary inspections

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other engineering discipline
• 1+ years of experience in process engineering, manufacturing, or reliability engineering (internships and co-ops acceptable)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent engineering discipline
• 3+ Years of industry experience working with electro-mechanical hardware
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, enthusiasm for the team’s spirit of innovation and mission of improving reliability in cutting-edge technology
• Proven success with instituting statistical process control and conducting design of experiments (DOE) to understand process dependencies in high volume production environments
• Programming experience in Python, C or SQL with an emphasis on data analysis and automation
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem solving approaches
• Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance, or the ability and willingness to obtain one

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Able to work extended hours, weekends, and offsite as needed.
• An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol test.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Pay Range:
  • Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
  • Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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 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.

Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

• 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.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Aff… or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out [e-mail].