TPS Technician, Starship Heat Shield Development

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP

Northern (KY)

Hybrid

USD 60,000 - 85,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

SpaceX is looking for a Thermal Development Technician (Starship) to advance heat shield technology for next-gen rockets. You will preprocess ceramic materials, fabricate tiles and coatings, and document every step for repeatability.

The role requires detailed inspection, reading engineering drawings, and assisting with equipment maintenance on the factory floor and in the lab. You'll work in a hands-on environment across office, shop floor, and lab settings to support aerospace-grade thermal

Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
Experience with various types of hand tools or hand-held power tools.
Ability to use precision measuring instruments.
Ability to operate personnel platforms (boom lifts, scissor lifts).
Ability to perform work according to procedures and specifications.
Experience setting up assemblies and parts in processing and curing equipment such as ovens and high temperature kilns to obtain desired set and cure.
Proficient/experienced to accurately measure and mix using scales for the process of tile coatings, sealants and RTV applications.
Comfortable working with solvents, ceramic precursors, inorganic acids and bases.
Experience with thermal protection system (TPS) or phenolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA).
Experience applying sealants, alodine, primer, adhesives, and special finishes
Good understanding of basic mathematical concepts
Fluent in the Office platform (Microsoft Word, and Excel)
Experience operating and maintaining Kuka or other 6-axis robots
Experience in using Simantic or other HMIs
Basic understanding of stud arc welding
Basic understanding of robotic automation
Experience working with Programmable Logic Control (PLC) in an automation setting

Responsibilities

Preprocess and manufacture ceramic fibers, filaments, and powders required for the fabrication of next-tier products (candidate must be comfortable working with these types of ceramic materials).
Fabricate ceramic refractory billets, ceramic tiles, thermal gap fillers, coatings, and other components required for a robust thermal protection system
Basic fabrication, surface preparation for processing, bonding, and oven curing
Document processes precisely to be able to replicate each step taken in the material processing
Perform product inspection and rework as required
Read and interpret engineering drawings with an understanding for drawing symbols, flag notes, and general notes
Assist in the maintenance and repair of production machinery