Senior Mechanical Engineer, AI Satellite Hardware

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Mechanical Engineer for the Starmind program in Bastrop, TX.

You will own hardware from concept through production and on-orbit operation, driving design criteria, requirements, and system optimization for large deployable solar arrays and high‑volume satellite mechanisms. The role emphasizes rapid iteration, design for high-volume manufacturing, and end-to-end product lifecycle management with cross‑functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• Experience with CAD and FEA software packages.
• 5+ years of professional experience with mechanical/electromechanical design, analysis, testing, and/or manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Own hardware from conceptual design through high‑volume production and on‑orbit operation for the Starmind constellation.
• Develop design criteria, collaborate on requirements, and drive system‑level optimization.
• Rapidly iterate on designs and analysis to inform high‑level systems trades and steer overall product direction.
• Design for extreme high volume—drive holistic DFM to create elegant designs with a focus on part and process count reductions, error‑proofing at every step of fabrication and integration, and consistent performance and production metrics.
• Establish an efficient product lifecycle starting in the supply chain all the way through final integration that balances cost, complexity, and quality; work closely with partner teams to design and realize an efficient in‑house production line.
• Perform environmental and performance testing on hardware to validate analysis and demonstrate compliance with design criteria.
• Own product delivery timeline through conception, design, assembly, and launch.
• Demonstrate extreme ownership of product outcomes at every stage of development and production.

Skills

CAD

FEA

Mechanical design

Analysis

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s degree in engineering

Tools

NX

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Mechanical Engineer for the Starmind program in Bastrop, TX.

You will own hardware from concept through production and on-orbit operation, driving design criteria, requirements, and system optimization for large deployable solar arrays and high‑volume satellite mechanisms. The role emphasizes rapid iteration, design for high-volume manufacturing, and end-to-end product lifecycle management with cross‑functional teams.