Sr. Scheduler (Starship)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Northern (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Scheduler for the Starship program to lead production scheduling across multiple work centers, forecast long-term capacity, and resolve part shortages.

You will own rate-based master schedules, model scenarios for hardware allocation, and present recommendations to leadership for alignment. The role partners with production, engineering, and supply chain teams to balance resources and drive performance, leveraging ERP/MRP systems and SQL to provide real-time visibility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of manufacturing scheduling, planning, or operations experience; OR 8+ years of professional experience in manufacturing scheduling, planning, or operations in lieu of a degree.

Responsibilities

• Lead production scheduling for multiple production work centers, including advanced forecasting of part shortages, long-term rate projections, and constraint management across 12+ missions.
• Develop and maintain rate-based master schedules for hardware lines.
• Own scenario modeling for optimal hardware allocation (new vs. refurb), incorporating customer manifests, quality requirements, and program priorities; present recommendations to senior leadership for stakeholder alignment and decision-making.
• Partner with production, engineering, and supply chain teams to define, track, and execute daily/weekly goals at the work-center and program level, balancing personnel, equipment, and facility constraints against overarching rate objectives.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with internal/external suppliers, implementing robust communication protocols for hardware needs, delivery dates, and escalations to ensure schedule reliability.
• Orchestrate scheduling and prioritization of hardware across shared resources enterprise-wide; negotiate with peer leaders, resolve conflicts, and drive innovative solutions that maximize program outcomes.
• Leverage MRP/ERP systems and advanced SQL queries to proactively identify shortages, expedite material flow, and integrate data into real-time dashboards for build visibility.
• Champion scheduling automation initiatives across Starship Ship Engineering, leading development of tools/scripts (e.g., VBA, Power BI, Python) to eliminate manual processes and scale operations.
• Conduct in-depth capacity analyses at work-center and program levels to mitigate near- and long-term risks; identify systemic gaps in models/communications, and spearhead proactive/reactive initiatives to prevent slips.
• Root-cause chronic schedule issues during builds, leading cross-functional teams to implement permanent fixes; facilitate assembly/integration alignment discussions and drive blocker resolution at scale.
• Mentor and develop junior schedulers, fostering a high-performance team culture; lead continuous improvement projects using lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen to enhance yield, quality, safety, cost, and efficiency
• Support strategic program reviews, providing data-driven insights on production readiness, risk profiles, and rate attainment to influence Starship development roadmap

Skills

ERP/MRP systems

SQL

Power BI

Python

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

SAP

Oracle

MS Office

Smartsheet

Confluence

JIRA

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 ofenabling human life on Mars.

SR. SCHEDULER (STARSHIP)

The Sr. Scheduler for SpaceX's Starship program leads efficient production planning by developing strategic rate-based schedules, forecasting long-term departmental capacity, resolving complex part shortages, and managing constraints across multiple builds. This role collaborates cross-functionally to establish and drive program-level goals, mentors junior schedulers, and optimizes resource allocation to achieve aggressive rate targets.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead production scheduling for multiple production work centers, including advanced forecasting of part shortages, long-term rate projections, and constraint management across 12+ missions
• Develop and maintain rate-based master schedules for hardware lines
• Own scenario modeling for optimal hardware allocation (new vs. refurb), incorporating customer manifests, quality requirements, and program priorities; present recommendations to senior leadership for stakeholder alignment and decision-making
• Partner with production, engineering, and supply chain teams to define, track, and execute daily/weekly goals at the work-center and program level, balancing personnel, equipment, and facility constraints against overarching rate objectives
• Cultivate and manage relationships with internal/external suppliers, implementing robust communication protocols for hardware needs, delivery dates, and escalations to ensure schedule reliability
• Orchestrate scheduling and prioritization of hardware across shared resources enterprise-wide; negotiate with peer leaders, resolve conflicts, and drive innovative solutions that maximize program outcomes
• Leverage MRP/ERP systems and advanced SQL queries to proactively identify shortages, expedite material flow, and integrate data into real-time dashboards for build visibility
• Champion scheduling automation initiatives across Starship Ship Engineering, leading development of tools/scripts (e.g., VBA, Power BI, Python) to eliminate manual processes and scale operations
• Conduct in-depth capacity analyses at work-center and program levels to mitigate near- and long-term risks; identify systemic gaps in models/communications, and spearhead proactive/reactive initiatives to prevent slips
• Root-cause chronic schedule issues during builds, leading cross-functional teams to implement permanent fixes; facilitate assembly/integration alignment discussions and drive blocker resolution at scale
• Mentor and develop junior schedulers, fostering a high-performance team culture; lead continuous improvement projects using lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen to enhance yield, quality, safety, cost, and efficiency
• Support strategic program reviews, providing data-driven insights on production readiness, risk profiles, and rate attainment to influence Starship development roadmap

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of manufacturing scheduling, planning, or operations experience; OR 8+ years of professional experience in manufacturing scheduling, planning, or operations in lieu of a degree

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Advanced experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and SQL in high-volume production environments
• Exceptional problem-solving with a proven bias for speed, accuracy, and scalable solutions in high-stakes environments
• Highly self-motivated leader with experience prioritizing amid ambiguity to deliver customer/company objectives
• Strong ability to build and lead supplier/customer relationships in fast-paced, matrixed organizations
• Proficiency in coding/scripting (e.g., SQL, VBA, Python) and tools like MS Office Suite, Smartsheet, Power BI, Confluence, JIRA
• Demonstrated success implementing enterprise-wide continuous improvement using lean principles, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), Kaizen, or equivalent frameworks
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams on strategic initiatives, with project management certifications (e.g., PMP, Agile)
• Aerospace or high-volume manufacturing background, ideally with rate-production scaling

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be available for all shifts, extended hours, and/or weekends as needed
• Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs. unassisted
• Must be able to stand for extended periods - 8 hours minimum
• 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.