Manufacturing Engineer (Starship Components Operations)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation

Stock purchase plan

Job summary

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer for Starship Components Operations. The role involves designing factory layouts, managing production processes, and implementing system improvements. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in physics or engineering, and at least 1 year of relevant experience. Competitive annual salary ranges from $100,000 to $135,000 depending on level. Comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, and retirement plans, plus potential bonuses and stock options.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of mechanical design/hands-on manufacturing experience (internships and project teams qualify).
• Experience in a developmental manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work across teams for best solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design and own factory and production area layouts.
• Conduct job walks with vendors and negotiate prices.
• Develop tools to analyze production problems.
• Lead by example to complete projects rapidly.

Skills

Mechanical design

Project management

Process engineering

Analytical skills (Excel, SQL, Python/R)

Lean and Six Sigma principles

Education

Bachelor’s degree in physics or engineering

Job description

Manufacturing Engineer (Starship Components Operations)

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.

The Starship Components Operations Build team owns the factory design and material flow to enable manufacturing, machining, and testing of flow control devices and mechanisms that drive critical capabilities on Starship/Super Heavy – from regulators and butterfly valves to flap/fin actuators. The Components Operations Engineering team builds the machine that makes the machine, in this case the factory that builds the components listed above. Factory build and expansion, process flow, machine moves, and project planning all fall under the scope of this team.

Responsibilities

• Design and own factory and production area layouts following the rules of clear visual indicators and linear flow
• Conduct job walks with vendors, negotiate prices and hold vendors to schedule
• Host process walks of production lines and determine what process steps can be deleted or simplified and help kick off the changes
• Execute on complex projects in the minimum amount of time and expense to the business
• Get hands‑on, lead by example to get projects completed rapidly
• Actively develop system and process improvements between production teams
• Develop tools to analyze delivery, capacity, cost problems for production to guide decisions

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

• Process engineering experience including project management, capacity modeling, process mapping, and layouts
• Experience with inventory, production, and capacity planning (including MRP/ERP systems)
• Experience as an industrial, operations, process or manufacturing engineer in a developmental manufacturing environment
• Experience with industrial facilities: HVAC, gases, electrical, structural/foundations, etc.
• 1+ years of experience using Excel, SQL, or Python/R for analysis or modeling dynamic systems
• Experience with lean, six sigma, and related production principles
• Ability to work well across teams and skill sets to find the simplest and best solution
• Experience contributing to multi‑disciplinary and cross‑functional teams

Additional Requirements

• Ability to stand for long durations and work directly with hardware on the floor
• Ability to stoop and bend when necessary
• Ability to travel and work long hours or weekends when necessary

Compensation and Benefits

Pay range:
Level I: $100,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year
Level II: $110,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year

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. Additional benefits include comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, a 401(k) retirement plan, short‑ and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may accrue up to 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.

• 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.

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.