Process Development Engineer

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, vision, dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Three weeks of paid vacation

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP is looking for a Process Development Engineer to enhance and streamline critical business processes to enable high-quality rocket development. This role involves collaboration across various departments, focusing on nonconforming hardware management, configuration management, and supporting ERP system improvements.

Applicants should hold a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and have at least 2 years of experience in a relevant manufacturing environment. This position also offers competitive compensation with bonuses, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career development.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Experience in a Quality Engineering or Industrial Engineering role is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve business processes for hardware management and product traceability.
• Collaborate across disciplines to enhance organizational efficiency.

Skills

Lean and quality tools

Statistical Analysis Tools

Project Management

SQL

Machine Learning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Minitab

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.

Process Development Engineer – Build Reliability

The Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing and improving business processes and systems that enable SpaceX to design, build, launch, and reuse the most advanced rockets in the world. This engineer seeks to eliminate inefficiencies and constantly questions the status quo while improving data integrity and product reliability.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve business processes and policies needed for nonconforming hardware management, configuration management, manufacturing and assembly, product traceability, rocket reusability and maintenance, and other critical business/production systems.
• Develop business use cases and software requirements for improvements to our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Execute software tasks, potentially including writing scripts, front and back end development, and relational database querying.
• Own ongoing support and improvement of developed software including technical debt, operational improvement, and new business process or logic implementation.
• Create AI prompts, workflows, and/or agents that execute or supplement our internal processes and applications.
• Act as subject matter expert in multiple SpaceX processes and systems, enabling complex data gathering, troubleshooting, and problem solving.
• Develop standardized metrics for the Production and Quality organizations.
• Develop, review, and approve procedures ensuring completeness, accuracy, regulatory and customer compliance, and quality objectives.
• Develop and execute training and communication plans during major process changes.
• Collaborate across disciplines including Engineering, Production, Test, Launch, Mission Operations, ERP, Supply Chain, Mission Management, Customer Contracts, and Management to ensure efficiency and consistency across the organization.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering field.
• 2+ years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience in a Quality Engineering or Industrial Engineering role.
• Experience supporting production of complex electro‑mechanical systems in high volume work centers and/or during production ramp‑up.
• Knowledge of lean and quality tools such as Process Mapping, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Metrology, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Control Plans, and various problem solving approaches.
• Knowledge of Statistical Analysis Tools such as Design of Experiments (DOE), Statistical Process Control (SPC), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Regression Analysis, and Minitab (or similar).
• Project Management experience, particularly related to creating or overhauling cross‑functional business processes in a manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of database structures and SQL.
• Experience with machine learning and other technical data science topics.
• Experience with version control, testing, build, and deployment of software systems.
• Experience building AI prompts/agents/workflows and using AI code assistants.
• Experience with AS 9100, ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949, ISO 13485, or similar Quality Management System.
• Dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
• Must be willing to travel – up to 10%.

Compensation and Benefits

Pay range:
Process Development Engineer/Level I: $100,000.00 – $115,000.00 per year
Process Development Engineer/Level II: $110,000.00 – $135,000.00 per year

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, stock options, 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.

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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].