Mechanical Engineer – Satellite Solar Arrays (Starlink)

InvestedintheMission; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term incentives

Discretionary bonuses

Employee stock purchase plan

Medical, vision, dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation and holidays

Shuttle service to Seattle/Redmond

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Mechanical Engineer for the Satellite Solar Array (Starlink) to design and implement the next generation of photovoltaic power systems for Starlink satellites. You will own the design, qualification, and production readiness of solar power assemblies across multiple vehicle architectures.

The role requires hands-on work, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and strong proficiency in mechanical design, analysis, and 3D CAD.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of professional experience (internships/co-ops accepted) with mechanical/electromechanical design, analysis, testing, and/or manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Design and analysis of solar array components ranging from photovoltaic cells to integrated electro-mechanical solar array assemblies.
• Own and design various satellite mechanical systems and/or associated tooling specifically for the solar array sub-assembly.
• Prepare detailed content for technical design reviews. Demonstrate ownership of the production outcome of the solar factory across yield, uptime, and cost.
• Work across disciplines with partner teams such as GNC, Avionics, Operations, and Payloads to achieve the best vehicle outcomes.
• Provide analytical rationale for design capability through hand calcs, and FEA where applicable.
• Complete engineering drawings, schematics, and specifications to define purchasing, manufacturing, and operational requirements.
• Write, design and execute test procedures and verification plans in both electrical and mechanical design spaces with your team’s test specialists.
• Design and conduct process qualifications using design of experiments and statistical process control.
• Work with supply chain and production partners to complete design for manufacturing (DFM) changes to meet factory rates and costs.
• Review on orbit performance data and respond with manufacturing and design solutions.
• Collaborate with Materials Engineering to develop novel space-based solar solutions.

Skills

Mechanical design

Electromechanical design

Testing

Manufacturing

Hand calculations

FEA

Dynamic analysis

Thermal analysis

3D CAD

GD&T

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

NX

FEA software

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Mechanical Engineer for the Satellite Solar Array (Starlink) to design and implement the next generation of photovoltaic power systems for Starlink satellites. You will own the design, qualification, and production readiness of solar power assemblies across multiple vehicle architectures.

The role requires hands-on work, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and strong proficiency in mechanical design, analysis, and 3D CAD.