Mechanical Engineer (Starship)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

3 weeks of paid vacation

Discretionary bonuses

Job summary

A leading aerospace manufacturer is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to join their elite team in Hawthorne, CA. In this role, you will be responsible for designing and building flight hardware, focusing on structures and integration interfaces. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering and 1+ years of relevant experience. You'll collaborate with diverse teams to develop innovative solutions and validate your designs through rigorous testing and real-world applications. This position includes a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building structures.
• Experience working at a nimble engineering organization.
• Demonstrated rapid growth in previous roles.

Responsibilities

• Develop design concepts for vehicle structures based on flight loads.
• Collaborate with peers across vehicle systems to balance designs.
• Create detailed designs and generate CAD models for components.

Skills

Data-driven decision-making

Engineering fundamentals

Trade studies

Hardware building

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

NX CAD software

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.

MECHANICAL ENGINEER (STARSHIP)

Our elite Starship team is working on our planet's toughest and most audacious project: making humanity multi‑planetary. The mechanical engineer is responsible for designing and building flight hardware such as primary structures, propellant tanks, integration interfaces, and structural subassemblies. You will be empowered to make real‑time decisions, solve complex problems on the fly, and own end‑to‑end processes. The role will require the readiness to develop subject matter expertise in design for manufacturability, specifically those related to sheet metal and subassembly design and fabrication. If you are ready to be a hardware owner, eager to get out from behind a desk, and be hands‑on working alongside a world‑class production team, this may be the right role for you.

Responsibilities

• Develop design concepts from a clean sheet and size vehicle structures based on flight loads
• Collaborate with peers from different vehicle systems to develop designs that balance mass, cost, and capability
• Create detailed designs to implement structural concepts and generate CAD models in NX for components, assemblies, and vehicle integration
• Build finite element models to assess your designs in detail and analyze your structures to prove they meet the needs of the vehicle
• Apply first‑order hand calculations and empirical formulas to assess and iterate on your designs rapidly
• Validate your designs by building development articles to test individual joints and design elements for strength
• Perform structural testing on subassemblies and full sections of the airframe
• Partner with build engineers and technicians to improve your designs
• Support the assembly of your hardware in the factory, witness your designs being brought to life daily, and watch them take flight and make history

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
• 1+ years of engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building structures (internship and school projects experience qualify)

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Strong ability to use data and analysis to make fast data‑driven decisions
• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals
• Ability to perform trade studies and make clear recommendations using first principles and engineering fundamentals even with partial information
• Experience working at a nimble engineering organization or in a highly technical position that required a scrappy, entrepreneurial manner to accomplish tasks with tight time or budget constraints
• Experience building hardware or have a passion for contributing to a work product that operates in the real world
• Demonstrated rapid growth; you’ve held successive positions of increasing responsibility within an organization, were able to get yourself up to speed at a heroic pace, and accomplished meaningfully difficult early in your career
• Experience leading or working on an engineering competition team, i.e. Formula SAE, Baja SAE, RoboSub, Combat Robotics or similar

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
• Ability to travel to Starbase, TX (up to 25% travel may be required)

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.

Export Compliance

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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.

EEO Contact

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Aff‑ir‑mative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].