Launch Reliability Engineer

SpaceX; Vandenberg Village (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Bonuses

Health coverage

401(k) plan

Paid parental leave

3 weeks vacation

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Launch Reliability Engineer to champion mission assurance at the launch site and collaborate across reliability and operations teams. You will contribute to Falcon 9, Dragon, and Starship programs, driving process improvements and risk mitigation throughout vehicle processing and refurbishment.

The role emphasizes root cause investigation, design-for-quality considerations, and close alignment with design reliability in PDR/CDR reviews to ensure a reliable launch cadence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or physics required.
• Experience in quality, manufacturing, or design engineering preferred.
• Willingness to pass background checks and work extended hours.

Responsibilities

• Advocate for mission assurance at launch site and promote reliable processes.
• Collaborate with Flight Reliability, Launch Reliability, and Launch Operations teams.
• Identify high-risk processes and implement improvements for operational excellence.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Ensure design for quality and manufacturability in reviews (PDR/CDR).

Skills

Quality engineering

Root cause analysis

DFQ/ DFM concepts

Lean principles

Six Sigma

APQP

PFMEA

Control plans

Metrology

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or physics

Bachelor's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Tools

Quality tools

Job description

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.

LAUNCH RELIABILITY ENGINEER

The Launch Reliability Engineer is the advocate for mission assurance at the launch site by promoting efficient and reliable operational processes. You will partner with Flight Reliability, Launch Reliability, and Launch Operations teams at SpaceX to ensure mission success as SpaceX marches towards manned spaceflight and Mars colonization. You will also have the opportunity to work on diverse projects including our Falcon 9, Dragon and Starship programs.

Responsibilities

• Reliably launch astronauts and other payloads by ensuring vehicle, payload, and spacecraft processing is efficiently designed and executed
• Interact with the various disciplines responsible for the development and build of Falcon 9, Dragon, Starship, etc., and launch pad systems to ensure optimized process health
• Identify high-risk processes and problems during vehicle processing or refurbishment, and proactively implement improvements to these processes to ensure operational excellence
• Find smart solutions to the biggest problems by leading root cause and corrective action investigations
• Determine high-risk processes and problems during vehicle processing or refurbishment, and proactively implement improvements to these processes to ensure operational excellence
• Maintain a feedback loop to drive hardware inputs that enable a reliable and rapid launch cadence; using data to make the quality landscape transparent and drive prioritization of resolving high-impact issues
• Participate in preliminary design review (PDR)/critical design review (CDR) and work with design reliability to ensure design for quality (DFQ), design for manufacturability (DFM), risk quantification/mitigation, and that appropriate test validation methods and inspection techniques, including nondestructive evaluation methods have been considered

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or physics
• 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a quality, manufacturing, or design engineering role

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline (e.g. aerospace, mechanical, etc.)
• Experience supporting production of complex electro-mechanical, mechanical or composites systems in high volume work centers and/or during production ramp-up
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, Six Sigma, 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
• Dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability

Additional Requirements

• Ability to pass Air Force background check for Vandenberg Space Force Base
• Available to work extended hours, nights, and weekends when required by mission milestones
• Ability to work 1st shift: Nominal work hours 7:00am - 5:00pm

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.

Itar Requirements

• 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 Affiantive Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].