Operations Engineer (Starship)

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 117,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

3 weeks of paid vacation

Potential bonuses and stock options

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking an Operations Engineer in Hawthorne, CA to lead efforts in optimizing production processes for the Starship program. The role involves strategic planning and development of efficient factory layouts, ensuring quality and safety while improving output.

Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and at least 1 year of experience in manufacturing. This hands-on position requires strong analytical skills and the ability to work with multifaceted teams. Compensation includes a competitive salary, stock options, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of project management and production optimization.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage factory layouts for efficiency.
• Conduct negotiations and manage vendor relationships.
• Develop production strategies to mitigate risks and improve workflows.
• Implement process improvements using data-driven decisions.

Skills

Process engineering experience

Capacity planning

Data analysis

Experience with Excel

Experience with SQL

Experience with Python/R

Lean/Six Sigma principles

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline

Tools

MRP/ERP systems

Statistics 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.

OPERATIONS ENGINEER (STARSHIP)

The Operations Engineering team supports the Starship program in Hawthorne through strategic planning, optimization of production processes, and allocation of resources. We are seeking engineers to lead cross‑functional and multidisciplinary teams that will create the factory of the future that optimizes operations in a fast‑paced environment. The ideal candidate should be an emerging leader who can apply principles of operations engineering, engineering, and data science to complex multi‑resource optimization. We are searching for qualified engineers who can continuously improve part flow, are interested in being on a manufacturing floor, and use data to drive decisions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and own factory and production area layouts following the rules of clear visual indicators and linear flow principles
• Conduct job walks with vendors, negotiate prices, and hold vendors to schedule
• Host process walks of production lines, and ask questions to delete or simplify process steps and kick off changes
• Work as part of a team to develop and manage production strategy to mitigate future production risks and seize emerging opportunities to improve quality, output, safety, and cost
• Develop tools to analyze delivery, capacity, and cost problems for production to guide decisions
• Identify operational challenges within the organization, determine root cause, and develop appropriate solutions
• Develop and track key performance measures, and identify decision points and actions to optimize production to meet demand
• Actively develop system and process improvements within and between production elements

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
• 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a manufacturing environment

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Process engineering experience including project management, capacity modeling, processing mapping, and layouts
• Experience with inventory, production, and capacity planning (including MRP/ERP systems)
• Experience using Excel, SQL, or Python/R for analysis on modeling dynamic systems
• Proficiency with statistics, data analysis, cost/benefit analysis, and visualization
• Experience as an industrial, operations, process or manufacturing engineer in a developmental manufacturing environment
• Experience with lean, six sigma, and related production principles
• Experience as a contributor to multi‑disciplinary and cross‑functional teams

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed to meet major milestones
• This is a hands‑on position that will require standing for long durations of the day and directly interacting with other team members and hardware on the floor
• Must be able to travel — up to 10 % work week travel may be required to other sites
• Must be able to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
• This position is based in Hawthorne, CA and requires being onsite — remote work not considered

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay Range:
Level 1: $100,000.00 – $117,500.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 – $140,000.00

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.

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].