Mechanical Technician, Facilities (Starlink)

SpaceX
Bastrop, TX
On-site

Who this role is best for

Candidates with industrial mechanical experience and a knack for hands-on projects will find this facilities-focused role at SpaceX.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 3+ years of industrial mechanical equipment experience and a project-oriented mindset
    — “3+ years of professional experience on industrial rotating or fixed mechanical equipment”
  • Individuals with millwright or central-plant experience in heavy-industrial settings
    — “Millwright, industrial mechanic, or central-plant background in a manufacturing or heavy-industrial setting”
  • Candidates who excel in precision work and have a strong grasp of P&IDs and mechanical drawings
    — “Expert ability to read P&IDs and mechanical drawings (GD&T a plus)”

Things to consider

  • Night shift work is mandatory, with specific rotating schedules from Wednesday to Saturday or Sunday to Wednesday
    — “Must be able to work one of the following shifts: C Shift – 5:00pm-5:00am, Sunday-Wednesday D Shift – 5:00pm-5:00am, Wednesday-Saturday”
  • This role requires physical endurance and the ability to work in extreme outdoor conditions
    — “Periodic work in extreme outdoor environments: heat, cold, wind, rain”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with rotating equipment overhauls and shaft alignment in your resume and interview
    — “Experience with rotating equipment shaft alignment, balancing, bearing replacements, seal swaps, precision measurement, and complete overhauls”
  • Showcase your hands-on fabrication and installation skills, especially with piping and fluid systems
    — “Strong demonstrated piping skills: cutting, fitting, brazing, soldering, welding (stick/TIG), threading, insulation, and tube bending”
  • Demonstrate your ability to communicate outage impacts and repair plans effectively
    — “Communicate equipment status, outage impact, and repair plans to engineers, supervisors, and internal customers”
  • Include experience with operating forklifts, scissor lifts, and overhead cranes in your application materials
    — “Capable of operating a forklift, scissor lift, pallet jack, boom lift, work truck, and overhead crane”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Individual

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

What success looks like

  • Maintain critical mechanical systems
  • Execute preventive maintenance
  • Support urgent repairs
Typical background
Experience in industrial mechanical maintenanceKnowledge of rotating and fixed equipment

Skills & requirements

Required

Mechanical TroubleshootingRepair And Rebuild Mechanical SystemsPiping And InstrumentationPump And Compressor MaintenanceVacuum And Cryogenic Systems

Preferred

MillwrightPipefitterPlumbingElectrical Troubleshooting

Stack & domain

PumpsVacuum SystemsCompressorsFansHeat ExchangersPipingCryogenic Systems

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.

MECHANICAL TECHNICIAN, FACILITIES (NIGHT SHIFT) 

As a Mechanical Technician at our Starlink Production facility, you will play a crucial role in keeping critical rotating and fixed equipment available for production. You will be responsible for troubleshooting, repairing, rebuilding, and improving mechanical systems site-wide, including pumps, vacuum systems, compressors, fans, heat exchangers, piping, cryogenic systems, and other plant equipment. Your work will drive reliability improvements, support planned maintenance, and close out urgent repairs with minimal disruption to the factory. Additionally, you will partner with facilities engineers and other technicians on upgrades and projects, with the goal of creating a world-class facility that can support the mission of connecting people across the globe and enabling life beyond Earth. This position is based in Bastrop, Texas (Greater Austin, TX Area). 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Troubleshoot, repair, and rebuild rotating equipment (pumps including vacuum pumps, fans, blowers, compressors, gearboxes) and fixed equipment (heat exchangers, tanks, vessels, piping, valves, strainers), including shop and field disassembly, inspection, measurement, machining or fit-up, reassembly, and testing 

Own hands-on improvement projects: fabricate, install, align, and commission mechanical upgrades with facilities engineers, using hand and machine tools to adjust and fabricate parts 

Read and interpret mechanical drawings, P&IDs, and OEM manuals for assembly, repair, and reassembly of rotating and fixed equipment 

Execute and improve preventive maintenance; write or update work instructions so critical systems do not take unplanned outages 

Repair and support critical infrastructure such as compressed air systems, chillers, cooling towers, hydronic loops, vacuum systems, dust collectors and general rotating/fixed equipment 

Assemble, install, repair, and maintain piping, tubing, fittings, valves, and instrumentation on fluid systems across the site 

Communicate equipment status, outage impact, and repair plans to engineers, supervisors, and internal customers 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

High school diploma or equivalent certificate 

3+ years of professional experience on industrial rotating or fixed mechanical equipment 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

6+ years of professional experience on industrial rotating and fixed mechanical equipment 

Millwright, industrial mechanic, or central-plant background in a manufacturing or heavy-industrial setting 

Broad working knowledge of pumps, compressors, piping, tubing, fittings, valves, cryogenic fluids, vacuum systems and compressed gas systems 

Journeyman or master as a pipefitter, millwright, or plumber, or actively progressing toward a journeyman’s license in one of those trades 

Ability to troubleshoot mechanical systems to the component level; basic electrical troubleshooting a plus 

Expert ability to read P&IDs and mechanical drawings (GD&T a plus) 

Experience with rotating equipment shaft alignment, balancing, bearing replacements, seal swaps, precision measurement, and complete overhauls 

Strong demonstrated piping skills: cutting, fitting, brazing, soldering, welding (stick/TIG), threading, insulation, and tube bending 

Familiarity with commercial and/or industrial building codes 

Experience leading or executing reliability improvement and construction projects 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

Must be able to work one of the following shifts: 

C Shift – 5:00pm-5:00am, Sunday-Wednesday 

D Shift – 5:00pm-5:00am, Wednesday-Saturday 

Able to lift 50 lbs. unassisted 

Periodic work in extreme outdoor environments: heat, cold, wind, rain 

Lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this position 

Capable of operating a forklift, scissor lift, pallet jack, boom lift, work truck, and overhead crane 

Able to work at elevated heights (up to 100 feet) 

Must have a valid US driver’s license 

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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