Sr. Materials Engineer, Vehicle Refurbishment

SpaceX; Florida; On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Materials Engineer, Vehicle Refurbishment, to own materials strategy for reusability from production through flight and refurbishment.

You will advance polymeric processes, coatings, corrosion prevention, and metal processing while ensuring reliability in extreme environments. You will collaborate with design, reliability, and production teams, conduct root-cause investigations, and develop material properties for new and returning vehicles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in materials engineering or related field
• 5+ years of professional experience in materials engineering
• Experience with multiple manufacturing methods: coatings, sheet/plate processing, casting, forging, brazing, welding, and heat treating

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy materials and process direction for vehicle design, manufacturing, maintenance, and refurbishment
• Increase reliability of processes through material selection, analysis, development, and test
• Develop physical, mechanical, and thermal properties for materials
• Improve special processes and materials through characterization and development
• Collaborate with design, reliability, and production teams daily
• Perform root cause investigations using fractography and metallography
• Provide technical reviews for drawings, specifications, and material requirements
• Work with engineers to solve material and processing challenges on current and future vehicles

Skills

Materials engineering

Fractography

Failure analysis

Manufacturing processes

Thermal testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in materials engineering

Master's degree in materials engineering

PhD in materials engineering

Tools

FTIR

SEM

Metallography

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.

SR. MATERIALS ENGINEER, VEHICLE REFURBISHMENT

This materials engineer role is highly multidisciplinary. You will assess problems and provide materials engineering solutions for vehicle reusability, from production through flight, maintenance, and refurbishment. The work spans polymeric processes, structural epoxy adhesives, organic and inorganic paint systems, corrosion prevention on metallic structures, composite processing, and special processing of metals, including plate, bar, and sheet processing, casting, forging, coatings, and heat treating.

Our materials engineering team serves as experts in various materials disciplines across the company and works to make the best rockets and spacecraft in the world. You will improve the materials and processes that make SpaceX vehicles possible, developing and qualifying them for reliability in extreme environments on both new vehicles and those returning from flight. If your goal is to make an impact at the cutting edge of materials and manufacturing technologies, this is the role for you.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, develop, and deploy materials and process direction for vehicle design, manufacturing, maintenance, and refurbishment
• Increase reliability of manufacturing, maintenance, and reuse processes through material and process selection, analysis, development, and test
• Develop physical, mechanical, and thermal properties for materials
• Improve our special processes and materials through characterization and development
• Work directly with component design build and test engineering, design reliability, and production teams daily
• Perform root cause investigations using fractography, metallography, and testing
• Provide technical reviews and advising for design efforts specifically related to drawings, specifications, and material requirements
• Collaborate with other engineers, subject matter experts, and technicians to solve complex material and processing challenges on our current and next generation vehicles

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in materials engineering or other engineering discipline with emphasis on materials
• 5+ years of professional work experience in a materials engineering related role
• Experience and expertise with multiple of the following manufacturing methods: tribological coatings (conversion, inorganic, dry-film lubricants), sheet/plate metal processing, casting, forging, brazing, welding, and heat treating

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree or PhD in materials engineering or related field
• Tribological processes including, but not limited to evaluating and implementing protective coatings (polyurethane, urethane, conversion coating, inorganic coatings, dry-film lubricants, etc.) for internal and external environmental conditions including thermal wear, atmospheric, and space environments
• Understanding of mechanical testing methods for metals including wear, tensile, fracture and fatigue
• Experience with failure analysis and fractography including characterization techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and metallographic analysis
• Knowledge of aerospace metals including nickel-based alloys, stainless steels, aluminum alloys, and titanium alloys
• Knowledge of fluid and gas compatibility for various launch vehicle and spacecraft propulsion and fluid systems
• Hands‑on experience in a manufacturing environment
• Understanding of non‑destructive test methods for fracture and fatigue control
• Maintain working knowledge of regulatory requirements, perform associated required tasks, and complete required documentation per SpaceX specifications and other external specifications such as NASA, OSHA, ASTM, NACE, ASME, AWS, ASM, etc.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones
• Up to 10% domestic travel is expected

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• 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.

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