Starship Critical Lift & Transport Engineer

SpaceX; Texas; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Starbase, TX seeks a Critical Lift & Transport Engineer to lead planning, analysis, and execution of lifts and heavy-haul transports for Starship hardware. You will develop lift plans, rigging designs, and evaluate mass properties, ensuring safety compliance and reliability with CAD/FEA tools.

Responsibilities include on-site oversight, risk assessments, vendor coordination, and ongoing process improvements to support high-stakes launches and ground operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in engineering required.
• 2+ years hands-on experience with mechanical and structural hardware.

Responsibilities

• Plan, analyze, and execute critical lifts and heavy-haul transports for large-scale hardware, ensuring safety and compliance.
• Develop lift plans, rigging designs, and transport configurations using CAD/FEA tools.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to assess mass properties, lift locations, and load paths.
• Select and verify equipment, perform inspections, and ensure capacity verifications.
• Conduct risk assessments, hazard analyses, and fatigue/stress analyses for lifts exceeding standard capacities.
• Oversee on-site operations, including pre-lift dry runs and real-time monitoring.
• Interface with vendors for equipment rentals and oversee contracted operations.
• Maintain calculations, drawings, and reports for audits and lessons learned.
• Support off-hour operations and troubleshooting during lifts.
• Drive continuous process improvements in lift/transport operations.
• Present certification packages and engineering data to agencies (NASA, US Space Force) if needed.

Skills

Crane lifting

Rigging

Transport operations

High-pressure environments

Root-cause analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

SOLIDWORKS

Siemens NX

ANSYS

FEMAP

Job description

SpaceX in Starbase, TX seeks a Critical Lift & Transport Engineer to lead planning, analysis, and execution of lifts and heavy-haul transports for Starship hardware. You will develop lift plans, rigging designs, and evaluate mass properties, ensuring safety compliance and reliability with CAD/FEA tools.

Responsibilities include on-site oversight, risk assessments, vendor coordination, and ongoing process improvements to support high-stakes launches and ground operations.