Materials Technician, Glue Factory (Starship) - 2nd Shift

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 31,684 - 52,348; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision & Dental

403(b) retirement plan

Paid time off

Holiday pay

Job summary

SpaceX is hiring a Materials Technician for the glue factory (Starship) on 2nd shift in Hawthorne, CA. The role focuses on hands-on fabrication of silicone adhesives, paints, and ablatives, supporting TPS and related processes in a fast-paced production environment.

The ideal candidate brings 2+ years in composite fabrication or chemical processes, familiarity with processing equipment, and strong attention to detail.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
• 2+ years of experience in composite fabrication, bonding, or chemical processes.
• Experience with various types of hand tools or hand-held power tools.

Responsibilities

• Fabricate formulated silicone adhesives, paints, ablatives, and other materials for robust vehicle assemblies.
• Preprocess and manufacture polymer resins, chemicals, and powders for next tier products.
• Participate in final packaging and down-packing of finished polymer goods.
• Perform product inspection, acceptance testing, and rework as required.
• Read and interpret engineering process specifications, SOPs, and work instructions.
• Assist in maintenance and repair of production machinery.
• Assist in material movement, pre-kitting, and managing local material inventory.
• Drive process efficiency improvements across production cells.
• Keep production areas clean to produce high quality products efficiently.

Skills

Composite fabrication

Bonding

Chemical processes

Hand tools

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Ovens

Mixers

Reactors

Distillation columns

Degassers

Mills

Vacuum pumps

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 ofenabling human life on Mars.

MATERIALS TECHNICIAN, GLUE FACTORY (STARSHIP) - 2ND SHIFT

SpaceX continues to revolutionize the launch industry by combining advanced technological developments with pragmatic and lean manufacturing. This is especially important within Thermal Protection Systems and its associated adhesives, coatings, paints, and ablatives. These materials are designed to withstand the extreme environments of launch, on-orbit operations, and reentry. As a technician for the Dispensary (in-house glue factory), you will thrive in a hands-on environment and will spend time on the factory floor and in the quality control lab producing low-cost and high-quality adhesives, paints, and ablatives to support SpaceX’s mission to make spaceflight more reliable and economical.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Fabricate formulated silicone adhesives, paints, ablatives, and other materials required for assembling and finishing robust vehicle assemblies
• Preprocess and manufacture polymer resins, chemicals, and powders required for the fabrication of next tier products
• Participate in final packaging and down-packing of finished polymer goods
• Perform product inspection, acceptance testing, and rework as required
• Read and interpret engineering process specifications, SOP’s, and work instructions
• Assist in the maintenance and repair of production machinery
• Assist in material movement, pre-kitting, and managing local inventory of raw material and finished goods
• Drive process efficiency improvements across various production cells
• Keep production areas clean and in a state that will produce high quality products efficiently

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate
• 2+ years of experience in composite fabrication, bonding, or chemical processes
• Experience with various types of hand tools or hand-held power tools

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• 3+ years of experience working in a fast-paced production environment
• Experience working with various types of processing equipment such as an ovens, mixers, reactors, distillation columns, degassers, mills, and other machinery used in chemical processing
• Experience with operating and maintaining mechanical components such as vacuum pumps, piston pumps, diaphragm pumps, motors, blowers, heat exchangers, condensers, etc.
• Skilled in mechanical testing (mainly Instron) and associated sample fabrication
• Skilled in materials characterization methods (i.e. – viscometer/rheology, optical property testing, hardness testing, etc.)
• Proficient in accurately measuring using scales, beakers and various monitoring probes
• Comfortable working with solvents, hazardous materials, inorganic acids and bases
• Experience working with thermal protection systems (TPS)
• Experience working with silicone RTV’s, paints, and ablatives in fabricating parts and assemblies
• Experience in materials and process development
• Basic machine shop fabrication proficiency
• Good understanding of basic mathematical concepts
• Ability to effectively communicate (verbal and written) with Engineering and Production
• Able to adapt to constant changing work assignments and fast paced work environment
• Excellent concentration and attention to detail with outstanding work efficiency and accuracy
• Fluent in the Office platform (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be willing to work the following hours:
  • 2nd shift: Monday to Friday from 3:30pm to 2:00am
• Ability to wear and obtain certification in the wearing of an air respirator
• Ability to obtain forklift certification
• Must be able to travel for short and extended trips as needed
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
• Ability to lift and carry up to 40lbs
• Standing for long periods of time, climbing up and down ladders, working in tight spaces, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, and stretching are generally required to perform the functions of this position
• Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay range:

Level 1: $23.00 - $27.00/hour

Level 2: $26.00 - $32.50/hour

Level 3: $31.00 - $38.00/hour

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.

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.

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