Sr. Mechanical Engineer (Starship Components)

Sr. Mechanical Engineer (Starship Components)

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.

Mechanical Engineer (Starship Components)

The Starship Components team develops the most advanced spacecraft and launch vehicle components in the world. Our engineers are hardware experts for valves, regulators, electromechanical actuators, pumps, and explosives that drive critical capabilities on the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle - from propellant flow and ullage gas thrusters to flap/fin actuators and flight termination. We design, machine, build, and test components to operate in extreme environments, with temperatures ranging from 80 to 800K, pressures beyond 800 bar, and life capability of >100 flights. As a Sr. Mechanical Engineer (Starship Components), you will use your knowledge, experience, and creativity to develop novel solutions at the cutting edge of space technology. Following a successful interview process, you will be offered a specialized role within the product life cycle (manufacturing, design, testing, machining), but as the extreme owner of your hardware, you will need to flex across these disciplines to ensure mission success.

Responsibilities:

• Develop innovative, manufacturable flow control devices (valves, regulators, pumps, solenoids) and mechanisms (flap/fin actuators, destruct charges) across Starship and Super Heavy stage systems
• Question requirements, delete parts and processes, simplify/optimize, accelerate, and automate component deliveries
• Act as the chief engineer, collaborating with stage, avionics, and flight safety teams to arrive at the simplest solution for the vehicle. Inform system-level architecture, with component capabilities and vulnerabilities in mind, to minimize cost of payload to orbit
• Manufacturing
  • Partner with production and design to accelerate to a weekly Starship delivery rate, striving for high yield and automotive cost. Improve designs for assembly/testing, implement linear production flow, design tooling, maintain work instructions, train others, and cut-in targeted automation
• Design
  • Assemble design criteria, select an architecture, size the component for proper force margin, perform structural analysis, generate detailed part drawings, perform qualification testing, present design reviews, and monitor hardware performance in vehicle operations
  • Target zero in-flight anomalies of your hardware and reduce component-caused delays in production and launch
  • Spearhead component root cause investigations in the factory and on the vehicle, and implement fixes to prevent repeat failures
• Testing
  • Prove out prototypes in R&D, define hardware capabilities in qualification tests to failure (vibration, thermal, life, climatic), and develop per-unit acceptance test plans under flight-like conditions (cryogenic temperatures, high voltage/pressure)
  • Develop automated test systems to validate flight hardware rapidly and reliably, and introduce state-of-the-art test infrastructure to coax out failures on the ground
  • Be rigorous in the safe operation of highly energetic equipment
• Machining
  • For individual parts, define the manufacturing strategy (casting, forging, machining), implement DFM feedback, perform CNC programming on lathes/mills, select cutting tools, prove-out the machining process, generate an inspection plan, and enable lights-out machining
• Flight Termination System
  • Develop state-of-the-art, manufacturable explosive devices and robust hardware integration designs (system controllers, electronic safe and arm devices, destruct charges, and integrated detonators) for the Starship and Super Heavy stage Flight Termination System
  • Validate reliability of hardware and designs with rigorous testing in shock, vibration, thermal cycling, climatic and live fire testing
  • Design experiments to ground analysis, develop fixturing, and create technical reports based on results

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in physics or an engineering discipline
• 5+ years of professional experience in manufacturing, testing, design, and/or machining of mechanical systems

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• PhD in mechanical, physics, materials, or other engineering discipline
• Leadership or mentorship experience and the ability to effectively communicate technical concepts across all disciplines and all levels in the organization (technicians, engineers, exec team)
• Hands-on experience from industry or collegiate vehicle/robotics competitions in fluid systems, high voltage systems, electronics, explosives, or instrumentation (e.g. pressure transducers, thermocouples, solenoid valves, accelerometers, etc.)
• Strong foundation in solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, electrical circuits, manufacturing processes, dynamics and controls, heat transfer, and thermodynamics
• Ability to collect, process, and review complex engineering datasets in tabular or graphical forms to extract relevant trends or failure modes
• Understanding of electro-mechanical devices, gear trains, actuators, motors, valves, pumps, regulators, filters, and explosives
• Proficient in drawings (GD&T), CNC operation, programming (lathes and mills), CNC probing, automated part feeding/catching, and inspection methods
• Experience in ANSYS or impact/explosion analysis (LSDYNA, BlastX, CHEETAH, Hydrocode)
• Willingness to obtain ATF explosives clearance or handle high explosive devices
• Experience in software development in SQL or Python

Additional Requirements:

• Travel to vendors and other SpaceX sites as needed
• Able to work flexible hours and occasional weekend support as needed

Compensation and Benefits: Pay range: Sr. Mechanical Engineer: $125,000.00 - $175,000.00/per year. Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.