Dynamics Engineer (Starship)

SpaceX
Starbase, TX
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to candidates with hands-on engineering experience in structural or fluid dynamics working in aerospace or launch vehicle environments.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with hands-on experience in building hardware or analyzing data and strong physics intuition
    — “Hands-on experience either analyzing data or building hardware”
  • Individuals with background in vibration, shock, and modal testing and system identification
    — “Experience with vibration, shock, and modal testing (system-identification experience a plus)”
  • Engineers with proficiency in Python and MATLAB for data processing and analysis
    — “Experience with data processing and analysis in Python and MATLAB”

Things to consider

  • Extended work hours and weekend work may be required, impacting work-life balance
    — “Position may require extended work hours and weekend work”
  • Applicant must meet specific U.S. export regulations, limiting eligibility to U.S. citizens or residents
    — “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”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your ability to drive hardware modifications across engineering teams
    — “Own system level analysis and drive hardware modifications or vehicle operations across vehicle engineering teams”
  • Emphasize your experience with multibody dynamics and structural-fluid coupling
    — “Experience with turbomachinery, combustion dynamics, fluid system modeling, or structural-fluid coupling pogo problems”
  • Showcase your skills in building finite element and lumped element models
    — “Build finite element and lumped element models of launch vehicle systems”
  • Demonstrate your ability to execute dynamic testing from start-to-finish
    — “Execute dynamic testing from start-to-finish (pre-test analysis, sensor selection & installation, testing, data analysis, signal processing and model correlation)”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Resolved dynamics problems through analysis
  • Built accurate models of launch vehicle systems
  • Executed dynamic testing
Typical background
Structural dynamicsFluid dynamicsVibration analysis

Skills & requirements

Required

Structural DynamicsFluid DynamicsVibration AnalysisFinite Element ModelingDynamic Testing

Preferred

Modal TestingSystem IdentificationPythonMatlabTurbomachinery

About the role

Original posting from SpaceX via Greenhouse

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.

DYNAMICS ENGINEER (STARSHIP)

The Starship Dynamics team is responsible for induced vehicle environments, system dynamics and vehicle dynamics on the Starship and HLS vehicles. The dynamics group is focused on defining forcing functions acting on the vehicle, predicting vehicle and system response, and ensuring hardware is qualified for ground testing and flight. The group has a wide range of responsibilities that include structural dynamics, fluid system dynamics, random vibration, engine dynamics and multibody dynamics. Dynamics engineers are expected to have a strong intuition of physics first principles, frequency domain analysis, and a broad range of engineering disciplines, in addition to having solid software and analytical skills. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Resolve dynamics problems through analysis, test and the use of flight data

Build finite element and lumped element models of launch vehicle systems

Execute dynamic testing from start-to-finish (pre-test analysis, sensor selection & installation, testing, data analysis, signal processing and model correlation)

Own system level analysis and drive hardware modifications or vehicle operations across vehicle engineering teams

Perform analyses using commercial and in-house codes as well as write new code

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline

1+ years of experience with structural or fluid dynamics via full-time employment, outside the classroom projects, or lab work

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Hands-on experience either analyzing data or building hardware

Experience with frequency-based and/or time-history vibration analysis

Experience with vibration, shock, and modal testing (system-identification experience a plus)

Experience with data processing and analysis in Python and MATLAB

Experience with solving ordinary differential equations

Experience with turbomachinery, combustion dynamics, fluid system modeling, or structural-fluid coupling pogo problems

Working knowledge of structural analysis and test, including a fundamental understanding of strength, stability and fatigue failure mechanisms

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Position may require extended work hours and weekend work

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 reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com. 

Source: SpaceX careers (Greenhouse)

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