Senior Raptor Propulsion Design Engineer – Lead

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision, dental

401(k)

Parental leave

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Sr. Propulsion Design Engineer for Raptor engine systems to own the definition, enforcement, and validation of engine design criteria across design, test, analysis, and build.

You will manage requirements for the world’s most advanced rocket engine and ensure they cascade to subsystems through rigorous validation. You will maintain design documentation (DCRs, PDRs, CDRs), drive corrective actions, report risks to leadership, and lead cross‑team initiatives to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering.
• 5+ years of professional mechanical design, including 3D CAD modeling.
• Experience owning hardware, systems, or projects from concept through delivery.
• 3+ years solving problems with fluid systems, heat transfer, and structural design.
• Strong documentation skills and ability to present to leadership.
• Experience defining and validating engineering requirements at system level.
• Proficiency with NX, Teamcenter, and ANSYS; SQL experience is a plus.
• Knowledge of materials for cryogenic/high‑temperature environments.
• Experience supporting rocket propulsion hardware integration and testing.

Responsibilities

• Translate top‑level requirements into clear criteria at lower levels.
• Audit design documentation to identify gaps and drive closure.
• Review test data to ensure criteria are met and initiate follow‑ups.
• Refine design review processes (DCR, PDR, CDR) for clarity.
• Deliver periodic design health reports to leadership.
• Resolve cross‑team conflicts balancing technical and program priorities.
• Promote design best practices for producibility, reliability, and performance.
• Integrate feedback from production, test, and flight operations into design updates.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and analysis teams to ensure readiness for production.

Skills

3D CAD

NX

Teamcenter

ANSYS

Mechanical design

Propulsion hardware

Communication skills

Systems ownership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

CAD tooling

Job description

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Sr. Propulsion Design Engineer for Raptor engine systems to own the definition, enforcement, and validation of engine design criteria across design, test, analysis, and build.

You will manage requirements for the world’s most advanced rocket engine and ensure they cascade to subsystems through rigorous validation. You will maintain design documentation (DCRs, PDRs, CDRs), drive corrective actions, report risks to leadership, and lead cross‑team initiatives to