Product Development Engineer (Starlink)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP is seeking a Product Development Engineer in Bastrop, TX. The role emphasizes managing new hardware programs in collaboration with contract manufacturers, ensuring project goals are met efficiently. Candidates should hold a Bachelor's degree in engineering and have at least 3 years of relevant experience, particularly in high-volume consumer electronics. This position requires on-site work and involves excellent project management and communication skills to lead multi-functional teams effectively.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a quality, reliability, supply chain, or engineering role.
• Experience in high-volume consumer electronics hardware programs.
• Strong experience in New Product Introduction (NPI) and scaling hardware into mass production.

Responsibilities

• Drive strategic execution of hardware programs and ensure alignment with project goals.
• Create and manage detailed project schedules, facilitating effective communication with all stakeholders.
• Oversee release processes for parts and assemblies, ensuring timely and accurate delivery.

Skills

Quality assurance

Project management

Communication

Problem-solving

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Risk management tools

Configuration management

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.

SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity. We are looking for talented, creative, and driven mechanical engineers to develop, drive, and maintain suppliers, from initial concept development to full scale production.

As a Product Development Engineer within the Supply Chain Reliability Organization, you will be responsible for managing the bring‑up of new hardware programs that are developed in collaboration with contract manufacturers. You will drive the successful execution of new product development builds and enable a smooth transition to mass production, with a strong focus on schedule, quality, reliability, and supply chain robustness.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive the strategic execution of hardware programs, ensuring alignment with overall project goals, reliability objectives, and mass‑production requirements
• Create and manage detailed project schedules, drive day‑to‑day activities to meet overall project objectives, and perform critical path management to ensure key decision milestones are met across NPI, qualification, and production ramp phases
• Lead multi‑functional communication between internal project teams and external vendors/contract manufacturers, facilitating alignment while holding teams accountable
• Provide timely issue resolution, proactively identify risks, and drive technical and supply‑chain issues to closure by bringing together key partners for decision making
• Facilitate clear and consistent communication and alignment between internal teams (Product Design, Engineering, Reliability, Manufacturing, and Operations) and external contract manufacturers/OEM partners
• Provide strong leadership and support during prototype, engineering validation, and production builds, while ensuring timely delivery of components, proactive problem‑solving, and definition of robust validation and reliability test plans
• Oversee the release process for parts, assemblies, and enclosures, ensuring timely and accurate releases while holding teams accountable for meeting release deadlines
• Provide clear project status and risk assessments to executive management, filtering and distilling relevant information for the right audience

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
• 3+ years in a quality, reliability, supply chain, or engineering role

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience in high‑volume consumer electronics hardware programs
• Experience in new product / project management, preferably in hardware development with contract manufacturers
• Excellent communication, organizational and leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi‑functional communication between project teams and external vendors
• Flexible and calm in the face of ambiguity with the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, rapidly changing environment
• Ability to filter and distill relevant information for the right audience
• Demonstrated creativity and critical thinking capabilities
• Strong experience in New Product Introduction (NPI), scaling hardware into mass production, and managing aggressive schedules
• Detailed knowledge of product development processes, manufacturing, and supply chain operations
• Background in engineering program management, supply chain quality, or contract manufacturer management
• Familiarity with product release systems, configuration management, and risk management tools
• Proven track record of independently driving complex projects through rapid development cycles while delivering high‑quality, reliable products

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally to supplier and manufacturing sites as needed
• Ability to work effectively across multiple time zones with global contract manufacturers and internal stakeholders
• Must be able to independently prioritize and manage multiple competing projects in a dynamic environment
• Position is based in Bastrop, TX and requires being onsite - remote work not considered
• 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].