Structures Design Engineer (Starship)

Full Time
5 months ago

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.

STRUCTURES DESIGN ENGINEER (STARSHIP)

The structures design engineer is responsible for designing and building flight hardware such as propellant tanks, integration interfaces, primary structures, and structural subassemblies. You will be empowered to make real-time decisions, solve complex problems on the fly, and own end-to-end processes. The role will require the readiness to develop subject matter expertise in design for manufacturability, specifically those related to sheet metal and subassembly design and fabrication. If you are ready to be a hardware owner, eager to get out from behind a desk, and be hands-on working alongside a world-class production team, this may be the right role for you.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team (production and build reliability engineers) and operations to efficiently design and build parts on schedule
  • Own both flight hardware (i.e. grid fins, stage separation planes, vehicle-side hold-down structure, bellows, raceways, etc.) and the production processes used to make them
  • Fully understand and represent manufacturing practices such as laser cutting, forming, welding (resistance, TIG, MIG, laser), composites, and assembly
  • Develop and revise production procedures, equipment, tooling, and layout
  • Own design for manufacturing and assembly during new product development and improvement cycles
  • Resolve complex manufacturing defects and eliminate the root cause
  • Develop, qualify, and refine manufacturing processes to meet all design and business requirements, including safety, quality, efficiency, and delivery
  • Ideate and manage capital projects to support the agility of a manufacturing center and quickly pivot to the changing needs of a fast-paced program

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building structures (internship and school projects experience qualify)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Ability to read, interpret, relay relevant information, and provide feedback on part schematics and drawings
  • Demonstrated experience working in a highly adaptive and iterative environment
  • Proven excellence in a high-volume commercial or automotive manufacturing environment
  • Experience transitioning products from design to manufacturing and scaling to high volume as part of a cross-functional team
  • Experience working with sheet metal, stainless steel, and welding
  • Experience with AWS documentation and specifications
  • Ability to design tooling for high-volume manufacturing
  • Demonstrated experience implementing automation into production processes
  • Ability to develop and maintain high-performing suppliers and contract manufacturers
  • Experience with modeling software, such as NX

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be available to work extended hours and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:        

Pay range:    Structures Engineer/Level I: $95,000.00 - $115,000.00/per year    Structures Engineer/Level II: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00/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. Exempt employees are eligible for 5 days of sick leave per year.

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 Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.