Manufacturing Engineer (Starship Components)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer for its Starship Components team. In this pivotal role, you will design and optimize production processes for high-quality flow control devices, ensuring maximum reliability in extreme environments. You will collaborate with engineers and vendors to innovate and implement state-of-the-art manufacturing solutions, contributing to the groundbreaking advancements in space technology. This position offers the chance to work at the forefront of aerospace engineering, where your skills will directly impact the success of future missions. Join a dynamic team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in space exploration.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical coverage

Vision coverage

Dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Long-term incentives

Discretionary bonuses

Qualifications

• 1+ years of mechanical design or hands-on manufacturing experience required.
• Bachelor's degree in physics or engineering is essential.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize production processes for flow control devices.
• Collaborate with engineers and vendors to ensure manufacturability.

Skills

Mechanical Design

Manufacturing Experience

Fluid Dynamics

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Physics or Engineering

Tools

SQL

Python

C#

Job description

MANUFACTURING ENGINEER (STARSHIP COMPONENTS)

The Starship Components Manufacturing team assembles, tests, troubleshoots, and delivers flow control devices and mechanisms that drive critical capabilities on Starship/Super Heavy - from regulators and butterfly valves to flap/fin actuators. We design and build valves, regulators, and actuators for maximum reliability in extreme environments, with temperatures ranging from +900F to -400F and pressures beyond 10,000 psig. As a Manufacturing Engineer at SpaceX, you will have the opportunity to utilize your knowledge, experience, and creativity to develop novel solutions at the cutting edge of space technology. You will introduce innovative products to the factory, evolve shop layout and capabilities, implement flight-like testing, solve nuanced root cause investigations, and exercise the algorithm to achieve SpaceX’s highest-yet component build rate.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design the factory and process to deliver state-of-the-art, high-quality flow control devices (valves, regulators) and mechanisms (flap/fin/gimbal motor actuators) for Starship and Super Heavy.
• Question assembly/test requirements, delete parts and manufacturing processes, simplify/optimize production flow, accelerate production, and cut-in targeted automation. Implement linear production flow, visual indicators of bottlenecks/stock-outs, and product-specific build/test cells for low-intervention production.
• Work closely with development and design engineers, internal machine shops, and external vendors to make parts that are designed for manufacturability.
• Maintain robust but simple work instructions and track defects/part movement in a lightweight and scalable manner. Implement flight-like acceptance testing.
• Support component level testing such as proof and leak, fluid flow, cryogenic and functional checkouts. Solve production yield investigations.
• Target zero workmanship defects and minimize fleet containments. Increase factory scrutiny as the products mature in pursuit of commercial and crewed orbital missions.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in physics or an engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of mechanical design/hands-on manufacturing experience (internships and project teams qualify).

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Leadership or mentorship experience and the ability to effectively communicate with all levels in the organization (technicians, engineers, exec team).
• Experience in build/test development and on-time delivery of new components.
• Experience working with fluid and electromechanical components such as valves, actuators, regulators, motors, gear trains, and sensors.
• Knowledge of principles of fluid dynamics, mechanics, materials, thermodynamics, and electrical circuits.
• Proficient in interpretation of fluid schematics, engineering drawings, circuit layouts, and parts lists.
• Experience in software development in SQL, Python or C#.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Travel to vendors and other SpaceX sites as needed.
• Available to work long hours and weekends as needed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:
Manufacturing Engineer/Level 1: $95,000.00 - $115,000.00/per year
Manufacturing Engineer/Level 2: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00/per year.

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, stock options, 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 & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation & will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year.