New Graduate Engineer, Mechanical Design (Starshield)

InvestedintheMission; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Health coverage

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a New Graduate Engineer, Mechanical Design (Starshield). You will own hardware from concept to production, perform design, analysis, and verification, and work with cross‑functional teams to bring space hardware to life.

The role emphasizes fast iteration, DFM, and testing, spanning from concept through launch, with opportunities for strong benefits and long‑term incentives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or STEM discipline.
• Experience with CAD or FEA software packages.
• Experience with mechanical and/or electromechanical design and analysis.
• Graduating with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD in 2027.

Responsibilities

• Own hardware and mechanisms from conceptual design through volume production and on‑orbit operations.
• Develop design criteria, collaborate on requirements, and drive system‑level optimization.
• Rapidly iterate on designs and analyses to inform system trades and direction.
• Drive DFM to reduce part count and ensure production metrics.
• Establish an efficient lifecycle from supply chain to final integration.

Skills

CAD/FEA

Mechanical design

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in engineering or STEM

Graduating in 2027

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.

NEW GRADUATE ENGINEER, MECHANICAL DESIGN (STARSHIELD)

Our SpaceX team is working on the toughest and most audacious projects on our planet: making humanity multiplanetary. As a Mechanical Design Engineer on the SpaceX team, you will demonstrate extreme ownership through detailed and thorough design, hardware bring-up/characterization/testing, and requirements generation/verification - ultimately seeing your hardware through all aspects of its life cycle. You will work with many cross-disciplinary teams and will need to think at a system level to ensure that your design is viable. Our development timelines are quick and you will need to rigorously explore solutions for previously unsolved or unknown problems. Every day, we push the limits of what is possible through innovation, determination, and teamwork to drive the mission to success.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own hardware and mechanisms from conceptual design through volume production and on-orbit operations to support various customers’ needs
• Develop design criteria, collaborate on requirements, and drive system-level optimization
• Rapidly iterate on designs and analysis to inform high-level systems trades and steer overall product direction
• Drive holistic DFM to create elegant designs with a focus on piece part and process count reductions, error-proofing at every step of fabrication and integration, and consistent performance and production metrics
• Establish an efficient product lifecycle starting in the supply chain through final integration that balances cost, complexity, and quality; work closely with partner teams to design and realize an efficient in-house production line
• Perform environmental and performance testing on hardware to validate analysis and demonstrate compliance with design criteria
• Own product delivery timeline through conception, design, assembly, and launch
• Demonstrate extreme ownership of product outcomes at every stage of development and production

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or STEM discipline
• Experience with CAD or FEA software packages (can be in a professional, academic, entrepreneurial, or hobby setting)
• Experience with mechanical and/or electromechanical design and analysis (internship and extracurricular experience are applicable)
• Graduating with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD in 2027

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline
• Ability and willingness to obtain a Top Secret clearance
• Solid understanding and application of GD&T
• Demonstrated ability to own hardware or systems within an integrated engineering team outside a classroom setting (FSAE, Engineers without Borders, Student Directed Research, Design-Build-Fly, NASA student launch, personal entrepreneurial ventures, etc.)
• Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes of complex mechanical systems
• Self-motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

• Pay Range:
• Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
• Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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 accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

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 affirmative action plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].