Manufacturing Engineer, Blades and Vanes

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Bastrop, TX, seeks a Manufacturing Engineer for blades and vanes in the investment casting line. You will own equipment installation, commissioning, and process development from ceramic cores through wax, shell, and cast, with a focus on strong equipment fundamentals.

The role transitions from commissioning to process ownership, collaborating with cross-functional teams to hit cost, rate, yield, and quality targets while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• 1+ years of equipment, manufacturing, or process engineering with hands-on installation, commissioning, FAT/SAT, and supplier management.

Responsibilities

• Lead commissioning, FAT, SAT, supplier management, and customization of pre-cast equipment (VIM furnaces, ceramic/wax injection machines, shell dip lines, thermal systems).
• Coordinate supplier-defined facilities and services: power, water, waste, controls, network, connectivity, and MES.
• After commissioning, own process ownership of cores-through-cast operations and drive cost, rate, yield and quality.
• Specify, design, and implement tools, fixtures, process aids, and equipment to hit rate, quality, and yield targets.
• Develop and maintain work instructions, process specifications, PFMEAs, control plans, and change-control documentation.
• Own EHS and process safety for assigned equipment including high-temperature, vacuum, pressure, and chemical operations.
• Troubleshoot equipment and process issues on the floor; lead root-cause analysis and implement robust corrections.
• Collaborate with Materials, Design, Quality, Facilities, Controls, Production, Maintenance/Reliability, and EHS; mentor junior engineers and technicians.

Skills

Equipment installation

Commissioning

Process engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, electrical, chemical, or materials science engineering

Tools

VIM furnaces

ceramic and wax injection machines

shell dip lines

thermal systems

Job description

Manufacturing Engineer, Blades and Vanes

Bastrop, TX

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.

MANUFACTURING ENGINEER, BLADES AND VANES

Working directly in the materials engineering group, this position owns equipment installation, commissioning, and process development for selected areas the blades and vanes investment casting line, from ceramic cores through wax, shell, and cast. A counterpart owns post-cast operations (shell removal through coating). Experience in any cores-through-cast area is welcome. The role starts with commissioning, then transitions to process ownership in the area where the engineer is strongest, always with a strong equipment foundation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead commissioning, Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), supplier management, and customization of pre-cast equipment, including VIM furnaces, ceramic and wax injection machines, shell dip lines, and thermal systems (kilns, dewax autoclaves, burnout and preheat furnaces).
• Coordinate supplier-defined facilities and services: power, water, waste, controls, network, connectivity, and MES.
• After commissioning, take process ownership of assigned cores-through-cast operations, drive production-ready capability, and own cost, rate, yield, and quality.
• Specify, design, and implement tools, fixtures, process aids, and additional equipment to hit rate, quality, and yield targets.
• Develop and maintain work instructions, process specifications, PFMEAs, control plans, and change‑control documentation.
• Own EHS and process safety for assigned equipment, including high‑temperature, vacuum, pressure, and chemical operations.
• Troubleshoot equipment and process issues on the floor; lead root‑cause analysis and implement robust corrections.
• Collaborate with Materials, Design, Quality, Facilities, Controls, Production, Maintenance/Reliability, and EHS, including technicians and operators.
• Lead technical projects and mentor junior engineers and technicians; provide technical guidance and promote skill growth and team cohesion. Senior individual‑contributor role, not a people‑manager position.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, electrical, chemical, materials science, or other engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of equipment, manufacturing, or process engineering, including hands‑on installation, commissioning, FAT/SAT, and supplier management.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in at least one major area of investment casting or a closely related high‑temperature