Senior Mechanical Engineer: Starship Flight Hardware

Spacex; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k)

Comprehensive medical coverage

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

SpaceX seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer (Starship) in Hawthorne, CA, to design and build flight hardware such as propellant tanks, primary structures, and subassemblies. You will create NX CAD models, perform FE analyses, and own end-to-end design processes with hands-on responsibilities in a fast-paced production environment.

You will collaborate across vehicle systems, apply first principles, and support assembly and testing to ensure flight readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required.
• 7+ years of mechanical design and analysis experience.
• Experience with high-performance mechanical systems and FEA tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop design concepts and size vehicle structures for flight loads.
• Collaborate across systems to balance mass, cost, and capability.
• Create CAD models and assemblies in NX for components and integration.
• Build finite element models and validate designs against loads.
• Perform hand calculations and empirical methods for rapid iteration.
• Develop development articles to test joints and elements.
• Conduct structural testing on subassemblies and airframe sections.
• Partner with build engineers to improve designs in fabrication.
• Support assembly in the factory and witness hardware in flight.

Skills

Mechanical design

Finite element analysis

NX CAD

Cross-functional

Python

Materials selection

Structural analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

NASTRAN

ABAQUS

ANSYS

CAD NX

Job description

SpaceX seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer (Starship) in Hawthorne, CA, to design and build flight hardware such as propellant tanks, primary structures, and subassemblies. You will create NX CAD models, perform FE analyses, and own end-to-end design processes with hands-on responsibilities in a fast-paced production environment.

You will collaborate across vehicle systems, apply first principles, and support assembly and testing to ensure flight readiness.