Materials R&D Technician Level 4/5 – Lab Innovator

InvestedintheMission; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive health coverage

Paid time off (vacation and holidays)

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Materials R&D Technician – Level 4/5 to join a fast-paced lab team focused on material and process development, failure investigations, and validation. This role requires hands-on lab experience, strong problem solving, and the ability to operate and troubleshoot laboratory equipment.

The position emphasizes safety, data reporting, and collaboration with engineering to drive innovations in materials science and test methods.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalency required.
• 5+ years of hands-on materials testing experience in a lab.

Responsibilities

• Operate mechanical test frames (static or hydraulic) and report core material data (UTS, YS, Modulus).
• Perform mechanical testing (tensile, fatigue, compression) on metals/polymers/composites or corresponding characterization work.
• Support maintenance and calibration of lab instrumentation.
• Summarize data and document results; flag off-nominal results for engineering review.
• Maintain safe, clean, and organized lab operations.
• Promote lab improvements and 5S in workspace.

Skills

Hands-on testing

Lab safety

Data reporting

Mechanical testing

Computers & Office

Education

High school diploma or equivalency

Tools

Instron

MTS

TGA

DSC

DMA

FTIR

SEM

JIRA

MS Office

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Materials R&D Technician – Level 4/5 to join a fast-paced lab team focused on material and process development, failure investigations, and validation. This role requires hands-on lab experience, strong problem solving, and the ability to operate and troubleshoot laboratory equipment.

The position emphasizes safety, data reporting, and collaboration with engineering to drive innovations in materials science and test methods.