Lead Polymers Engineer – Starlink Materials & Processing

InvestedintheMission; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Principal Materials Engineer, Polymers (Starlink) in Texas to develop, test, and qualify polymeric materials for Starlink products. You will lead cross-functional efforts from material selection through production, addressing processing challenges and injection-molded part scale-up.

Ideal candidates hold a PhD or MS in materials science/engineering with 10+ years of experience in polymers, elastomers, or adhesives, and a strong track record in polymer characterization and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in materials science or an engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of experience with characterizing, testing, and evaluating the performance of thermoplastics, elastomers, and/or adhesives.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test and evaluate polymeric materials used across Starlink products.
• Support polymer selection and implementation by collaborating with design engineers to establish inputs for cost-effective production.
• Collaborate with other engineers and technicians to solve material and processing challenges on current and next generation products.
• Lead scale-up from prototype to production of relevant injection molded parts.
• Engage in root cause failure investigations as a subject matter expert for failure mechanisms.

Skills

Polymer characterization

Material testing

Cross-functional collaboration

Scale-up to production

Failure analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in materials science or engineering

Master's degree or PhD in materials science/engineering or polymer engineering

Tools

SEM-EDS

FTIR

DSC

TGA

Rheometer

Optical microscopy

Hardness testing

Mechanical testing

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Principal Materials Engineer, Polymers (Starlink) in Texas to develop, test, and qualify polymeric materials for Starlink products. You will lead cross-functional efforts from material selection through production, addressing processing challenges and injection-molded part scale-up.

Ideal candidates hold a PhD or MS in materials science/engineering with 10+ years of experience in polymers, elastomers, or adhesives, and a strong track record in polymer characterization and