New Graduate Engineer, Starship Components

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Medical coverage

Paid time off

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a NEW GRADUATE ENGINEER for Starship Components in Hawthorne, CA. The role spans manufacturing, design, testing, and machining of critical Starship hardware, including valves, actuators, and propellant components.

Graduates will work across disciplines to ensure mission success and rapid delivery while adhering to safety and quality standards. Ideal candidates will have a 3.5+/4.0 GPA or higher, 1+ year of relevant engineering experience, and expect to graduate in 2026 or 2027.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or physics.
• 1+ years of mechanical and/or fluids engineering experience via project teams, research, internships, and/or professional experience.
• Graduating in Fall/Winter 2026 or Spring/Summer 2027.

Responsibilities

• Manufacturing: partner with production and design to accelerate weekly Starship deliveries and improve assembly/testing.
• Design: select architecture, size for proper force margin, perform structural analysis and reviews.
• Testing: design and validate automated test systems and qualification tests under flight-like conditions.
• Machining: define manufacturing strategy and CNC programming for parts.

Skills

Hands-on experience

Solid mechanics

Fluid dynamics

Electrical circuits

Instrumentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or physics

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, STARSHIP COMPONENTS

The Starship Components team develops the most advanced spacecraft and launch vehicle components in the world. The engineers of this team are hardware experts for valves, regulators, electromechanical actuators, pumps, and explosives that drive critical capabilities on the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle—from propellant flow and ullage gas thrusters to flap/fin actuators. They design, machine, build, and test components to operate in extreme environments, with temperatures ranging from 80 to 800 K, pressures beyond 800 barA, and a life capability of >100 flights. As an engineer of this team, you will use your knowledge, experience, and creativity to develop novel solutions at the cutting edge of space technology. Following a successful interview process, you will be offered a specialized role within the product lifecycle (manufacturing, design, testing, machining), but as the extreme owner of your hardware, you will need to flex across these disciplines to ensure mission success.

Responsibilities

• Manufacturing
  • Partner with production and design to accelerate to a weekly Starship delivery rate, striving for high yield and automotive-level costs. Improve designs for assembly/testing, implement linear production flow, design tooling, develop welds, maintain work instructions, train others, and cut in targeted automation.
• Design
  • Assemble design criteria, select an architecture, size the component for proper force margin, perform structural analysis, generate detailed part drawings, perform qualification testing, present design reviews, and monitor hardware performance in vehicle operations.
  • Target zero in-flight anomalies of your hardware and reduce component-caused delays in production and launch. Spearhead component root-cause investigations in the factory and on the vehicle, and implement fixes to prevent repeat failures.
• Testing
  • Design, build, and validate automated test systems that prove flight hardware quickly and repeatably. Stand up the infrastructure that finds failures on the ground so they never happen on the mission. Operate high-energy equipment with uncompromising safety discipline.
  • Prove out prototypes in R&D, define hardware limits in qualification tests to failure (vibration, thermal, life, climatic), and write per-unit acceptance test plans under flight-like conditions (cryogenic temperatures, high voltage, high pressure).
• Machining
  • For individual parts, define the manufacturing strategy (casting, forging, machining), implement DFM feedback, perform CNC programming on lathes/mills, select cutting tools, prove out the machining process, generate an inspection plan, and enable lights-out machining.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or physics.
• 1+ years of mechanical and/or fluids engineering experience via project teams, research, internships, and/or professional experience.
• Graduating in Fall/Winter of 2026 or Spring/Summer of 2027.

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Hands‑on experience from industry or collegiate vehicle/robotics competitions in fluid systems, high‑voltage systems, electronics, or instrumentation (e.g., pressure transducers, thermocouples, solenoid valves, accelerometers, etc.).
• Strong foundation in solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, electrical circuits, manufacturing processes, dynamics and controls, heat transfer, and thermodynamics.
• Ability to collect, process, and review complex engineering datasets in tabular or graphical forms to extract relevant trends or failure modes.
• Understanding of electromechanical devices, gear trains, actuators, motors, valves, pumps, regulators, filters, and explosives.
• Success in academics at a rigorous and highly regarded university: minimum GPA of 3.5/4.0 or higher, standardized test scores in the minimum 95th percentile, merit‑based scholarship recipient.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.

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.

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... or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].