Materials R&D Technician — Lab & Testing Specialist

InvestedintheMission; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Medical, vision, dental coverage

3 weeks paid vacation

10+ paid holidays

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA seeks a Materials R&D Technician to support daily lab operations for material and process development, failure investigations, and validation. The role requires hands-on lab experience and a basic understanding of material science; the ideal candidate will be organized, detail-oriented, and collaborative.

Responsibilities include operating test frames or characterization instruments, performing mechanical tests on metals/polymers/composites, maintaining equipment, and

Qualifications

• Hands-on materials testing in a lab setting.
• Basic understanding of material science fundamentals preferred.
• Proven ability to set up, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot lab equipment.

Responsibilities

• Operate mechanical test frames or characterization instruments and report data.
• Perform mechanical tests on metals, polymers, or composites.
• Support maintenance and calibration of lab instruments.
• Summarize data and note nominal vs. off-nominal results for engineering review.
• Maintain clean, safe, and organized lab operations.
• Promote lab improvement initiatives and 5S principles.
• Use calibrated tools to measure specimen geometry.
• Familiarize with relevant ASTM standards.

Skills

Materials testing

Lab operations

Mechanical testing

Safety practices

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Instron/MTS

Microsoft Office & JIRA

Job description

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA seeks a Materials R&D Technician to support daily lab operations for material and process development, failure investigations, and validation. The role requires hands-on lab experience and a basic understanding of material science; the ideal candidate will be organized, detail-oriented, and collaborative.

Responsibilities include operating test frames or characterization instruments, performing mechanical tests on metals/polymers/composites, maintaining equipment, and