Manufacturing Engineer (Starship Components Operations)

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation and holidays

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer for Starship Components Operations in Hawthorne, California. This role involves designing factory layouts, leading complex projects, and collaborating across teams to improve processes. Ideal candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in physics or engineering, mechanical design experience, and a passion for manufacturing innovation. The position offers a competitive salary range of $100,000 to $135,000 per year, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities to contribute to space exploration efforts.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of mechanical design/hands-on manufacturing experience (internships and project teams qualify).
• Ability to travel and work long hours or weekends when necessary.
• Process engineering experience including project management, capacity modeling, process mapping.

Responsibilities

• Design and own factory and production area layouts.
• Conduct job walks with vendors and negotiate prices.
• Execute complex projects in minimum time and expense.
• Actively develop system and process improvements.

Skills

Mechanical design

Hands-on manufacturing

Process engineering

Project management

Data analysis with Excel, SQL, Python/R

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in physics or engineering discipline

Tools

MRP/ERP systems

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.

Manufacturing Engineer (Starship Components Operations)

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. Ops engineers have an eye for detail and simplicity and make that become reality on the factory floor. If you like strategic planning, juggling many different priorities, improving part flow, and spending most of your time away from your desk, a role on the operations engineering team may be for you!

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 ask questions to 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 in 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 as a contributor 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

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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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 affirmative action plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].