Sr. Tooling Designer, Investment Casting

Future Ventures; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Tooling Designer for Investment Casting to own the design and development of wax injection molds and ceramic core molds used to produce turbine blades and vanes.

You will deliver high-precision tooling with tight tolerances and complex cooling geometries while meeting aggressive rate and cost targets. You will work with materials, casting, and manufacturing engineers to take tooling from concept through production qualification, impacting casting yield, dimensional

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience designing high-precision injection molds for wax patterns and ceramics.
• Experience enabling mold filling simulations and applying first-principles analysis.
• Strong understanding of multi-stage shrinkage and dimensional/metallurgical requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design high-precision wax injection molds and ceramic core injection molds for turbine blades and vanes.
• Interpret mold filling simulations and optimize gating, venting, cooling, and shrinkage compensation.
• Own tooling designs from concept through tryout, qualification, and production release.
• Collaborate with casting engineers and vendors to troubleshoot tooling-related defects and improve yield.

Skills

High-precision mold design

Wax & ceramic tooling knowledge

GD&T tolerance analysis

Tools

Siemens NX

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.

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Tooling Designer for Investment Casting, to own the design and development of wax injection molds and ceramic core injection molds used to produce turbine blades and vanes. This role is critical to scaling reliable, high-performance cast components. You will design complex tooling that must repeatedly deliver extremely tight tolerances and intricate internal cooling geometries while supporting aggressive rate and cost targets.

As a member of the materials team, you will work closely with materials, casting, and manufacturing engineers to develop tooling solutions from concept through production qualification. Your designs will directly impact casting yield, dimensional stability, and the overall manufacturability of mission-critical hardware.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design high-precision wax injection molds and ceramic core injection molds for complex turbine blades and vanes to be manufactured in-house
• Interpret and enable mold filling simulations and apply first-principles analysis to optimize gating, venting, cooling, and shrinkage compensation
• Account for multi-stage shrinkage (wax, ceramic, and alloy) to consistently meet stringent dimensional and metallurgical requirements
• Own tooling designs from concept through tryout, qualification, and production release
• Own and manage the feasibility and surfacing of critical mold components
• Collaborate closely casting engineers, materials scientists, and vendors to troubleshoot tooling-related casting defects and improve yield
• Apply advanced GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis to complex airfoil geometries
• Support design for manufacturability (DFM) initiatives to enable high-rate production while maintaining quality and cost targets
• Interface with internal manufacturing teams and external tooling vendors to ensure designs are successfully translated into reliable production tooling
• Drive continuous improvement of tooling standards, materials, and maintenance practices for high-volume casting operations

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of professional experience designing high-precision injection molds for wax patterns AND ceramics
• 3+ years of feasibility for wax patterns AND ceramics
• Experience with Siemens NX

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• In-depth knowledge of wax and ceramic material behavior, rheology, and processing
• Extensive knowledge of wax and ceramic tool design requirements
• Knowledge of drafting practices and principles
• Direct experience designing molds used in the production of turbine blades and vanes
• Demonstrated success taking complex tooling from design through production qualification
• Deep understanding of the investment casting process and associated shrinkage/ distortion mechanisms
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-mix manufacturing environment
• Hands‑on experience supporting mold tryouts and casting process development
• Experience with manufacturing wax pattern and ceramic tooling, including CNC and mold making

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends when required to support hardware delivery and production campaigns
• Must be willing to travel (up to 25%) to external suppliers and other SpaceX facilities

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.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affi­… or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].