Mechanical Engineer - Tooling/Controls, Satellites (Starlink)

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

Job summary

SpaceX in Redmond is building high-rate production tooling for Starlink optical fiber terminations. You will own the tooling from concept through commissioning, designing machinery to automate assembly and test of flight hardware at scale.

You will partner with flight harness engineers, quality and production teams to drive manufacturability, solve precision alignment and cycle-time challenges, and wire, program, and commission equipment on the factory floor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, mechatronics, electrical, manufacturing, or related STEM.
• 1+ years CAD design using 3D CAD and 2D drawings.
• 1+ years implementing controls on mechanical systems (motion, sensors, actuators, PLC).
• 3+ years in custom machine design or production tooling.
• Experience with electromechanical systems: motors, sensors, actuators, pneumatics.
• Hands-on machine controls: PLC, servo/stepper, I/O, safety and HMI.
• Familiar with precision assembly: fiber optics, harnesses, potting.
• Ability to perform hand calculations; design for manufacturability.
• GD&T familiarity and drafting standards.
• Know-how of mills, lathes, CNC, sheet metal, welding.
• Experience with NX/Teamcenter or CAD/PDM systems.
• PFMEA and error-proofing experience.

Responsibilities

• Stand up internal high-rate optical fiber harness termination from development to production equipment.
• Design tooling, fixtures, mechanisms, and automation to terminate, assemble, test flight hardware at rate.
• Own the electromechanical stack from concept through commissioning.
• Manage projects through concept, fabrication, controls bring-up, production introduction.
• Collaborate with flight harness engineers, quality, and production to develop processes in parallel.
• Solve issues on precision alignment, repeatability, cycle time, first-pass yield.
• Assemble, wire, program, and commission equipment on the production floor.

Skills

3D CAD

2D drawings

machine controls

hands-on

PFMEA

GD&T

hand calculations

CNC

NX/Teamcenter

Mills/Lathes

Familiar with drafting standards

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, mechatronics, electrical, manufacturing, or related STEM

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

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. As a member of the Starlink satellite mechanical team you will stand up the in-house, high-rate manufacturing tooling used to make custom optical fiber connections for Starlink. You will get to own the whole production system: establish requirements, processes, and design custom machinery to enable high-rate production. Using your expertise in mechanical design and machine controls, you will implement, simplify, and automate high-reliability manufacturing processes to scale production for a variety of Starlink vehicles. Your tooling will be used by different teams at Starlink spanning from operator-assisted stations to automated cells, and will build mission‑critical hardware that is pivotal to the success of our next generation satellites.

Responsibilities

• Stand up internal high-rate optical fiber harness termination for Starlink, taking the process from development equipment to production‑capable machinery
• Design and develop tooling, fixtures, mechanisms, and automation equipment to terminate, assemble, and test flight hardware at rate
• Own the electromechanical stack on the equipment you design: structure, motion, sensors, actuators, and machine controls, from concept through commissioning
• Own projects through their full lifecycle — concept, fabrication, controls bring‑up, and production introduction
• Partner with flight harness responsible engineers, quality, and production to develop process and equipment in parallel with the product
• Solve complex problems around precision alignment, process repeatability, cycle time, and first‑pass yield
• Assemble, wire, program, debug, and commission the equipment you design on the production floor

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, mechatronics, electrical, manufacturing, or a related engineering/STEM discipline
• 1+ years of experience designing mechanical systems using 3D CAD software and 2D drawings (internships, co‑ops, and university projects can apply)
• 1+ years of experience implementing controls on mechanical systems - motion, sensors, actuators, PLC or equivalent (internships, co‑ops, and university project can apply)

Preferred Skills And Experience

• 3+ years of experience in custom machine design, production tooling, or automated assembly equipment
• Experience with electromechanical systems: motors, actuators, linear rails, bearings, pneumatics, sensors, and precision locating features
• Hands‑on experience with machine controls: PLC or industrial motion controllers, servo/stepper systems, I/O, safety circuits, and HMI
• Familiarity with precision assembly processes — fiber optics, cable/harness build, potting/curing, or similarly tight‑tolerance joining and inspection
• Ability to perform structures and mechanism hand calculations; design for manufacturability and assembly
• Familiarity with drafting standards and GD&T
• Solid understanding of common manufacturing processes (mills, lathes, CNC, sheet metal, welding) and hands‑on build experience
• Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter, or equivalent CAD/PDM systems
• Experience with manufacturing process development, PFMEA, and error‑proofing

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to support mission critical deadlines

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay Range: Level 1: $100,000.00 - $135,000.00 Level 2: $115,000.00 - $165,000.00 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 in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

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, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status. Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Aff…