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SpaceX · 2 weeks ago

Sr. Mechanical Engineer (Starship Components)

Hawthorne, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$125K/yr - $175K/yr

5+ years exp

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. As a Sr. Mechanical Engineer (Starship Components), you will be responsible for developing advanced spacecraft components, collaborating across disciplines to ensure mission success, and driving innovative solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Advanced MaterialsAerospaceManufacturingNational SecuritySpace Travel

Growth Opportunities

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

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

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, develop welds, maintain work instructions, train others, and cut-in targeted automation

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

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

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

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

Qualification

Mechanical EngineeringManufacturing ProcessesTestingValidationCNC ProgrammingFluid DynamicsElectro-mechanical DevicesANSYSSQLPythonLeadership Experience

Required

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

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