Starfall Dynamics Engineer - High-Cadence Space Capsule

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive medical, vision and牙d en

401(k) retirement plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Loads & Dynamics Engineer (Starfall) in Hawthorne to join the Starfall team developing a high-capacity re-entry capsule. You will model and analyze dynamic loads across ground, launch, orbit, and re-entry, guiding design decisions with strong hardware intuition.

Bachelor’s in aerospace/physics/engineering plus CAD/FEA and dynamic analysis experience are required; a Master’s degree and expertise with NASTRAN/FEMAP/LS-DYNA and Python/Matlab are highly preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, physics, or an engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of experience with CAD and FEA software.
• 1+ years of experience with dynamic analysis.
• Master’s degree in an engineering discipline (preferred).
• Experience with a commercial FEA or Multiphysics package (NASTRAN, FEMAP, LS-DYNA).
• Analytical programming skills (Python, Matlab) and strong communication.

Responsibilities

• Build finite element models and run coupled loads analysis.
• Perform analyses such as spacecraft separation and fatigue analysis.
• Execute dynamic testing from start to finish including pre-test analysis, sensor selection and installation, testing and correlation.
• Own dynamic event analysis by developing in-house programs and correlating with flight data.

Skills

CAD

FEA

Dynamic analysis

Python

Matlab

Frequency-domain analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace/physics/engineering

Master's degree in engineering (preferred)

Tools

NASTRAN

FEMAP

LS-DYNA

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Loads & Dynamics Engineer (Starfall) in Hawthorne to join the Starfall team developing a high-capacity re-entry capsule. You will model and analyze dynamic loads across ground, launch, orbit, and re-entry, guiding design decisions with strong hardware intuition.

Bachelor’s in aerospace/physics/engineering plus CAD/FEA and dynamic analysis experience are required; a Master’s degree and expertise with NASTRAN/FEMAP/LS-DYNA and Python/Matlab are highly preferred.