New Graduate Engineer, Starship Components

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a New Graduate Engineer for the Starship Components team. You will collaborate across Manufacturing, Design, Testing, and Machining to support delivery of Starship hardware capable of extreme environments.

Fundamental engineering skills in solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, and instrumentation will drive development and qualification of components for flight. Graduating in Fall/Winter 2026 or Spring/Summer 2027 with strong academics and hands-on project

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.

Responsibilities

• Manufacturing: partner with production and design to accelerate weekly Starship delivery, improve designs for assembly/testing, implement linear production flow, design tooling, welds, and automation.
• Design: assemble design criteria, size components, perform structural analysis, draw parts, qualify testing, present reviews, monitor hardware performance.
• Testing: prove prototypes in R&D, define capabilities in qualification tests to failure, develop per-unit acceptance test plans under flight-like conditions.
• Machining: define manufacturing strategy, implement DFM feedback, CNC programming, tooling, inspection plan, lights-out machining.

Skills

Solid mechanics

Fluid dynamics

Electrical circuits

Instrumentation

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or physics

Tools

None

Job description

Hawthorne, CA

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 ofenabling human life on Mars.

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 tooperatein extreme environments, with temperatures ranging from 80 to 800 K, pressures beyond 800barA, 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 thecutting edgeof 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
  • Prove out prototypes in R&D, define hardware capabilities in qualification tests to failure (vibration, thermal, life, climactic), and develop per-unit acceptance test plans under flight-like conditions (cryogenic temperatures, high voltage/pressure).
  • Develop automated test systems to validate flight hardware rapidly and reliably and introduce state-of -the-art infrastructure to coax out failures on the ground. Be rigorous in the safe operation of highly energetic equipment.
• 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 andweekendsas necessary.

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 tooperatein extreme environments, with temperatures ranging from 80 to 800 K, pressures beyond 800barA, 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 thecutting edgeof 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
  • Prove out prototypes in R&D, define hardware capabilities in qualification tests to failure (vibration, thermal, life, climactic), and develop per-unit acceptance test plans under flight-like conditions (cryogenic temperatures, high voltage/pressure).
  • Develop automated test systems to validate flight hardware rapidly and reliably and introduce state-of -the-art infrastructure to coax out failures on the ground. Be rigorous in the safe operation of highly energetic equipment.
• 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