Production Engineer (Starship Electronics)

SpaceX
Hawthorne, CA

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for mid-level engineers with manufacturing and design-for-manufacturing expertise who can work in a collaborative, high-volume aerospace environment.

Best fit for

  • Mid-level engineers with hands-on experience in aerospace electro-mechanical systems and process optimization
    — “develop, standardize, and continuously improve process chains required to deliver Starship electronics components
  • Candidates who have successfully designed production systems for complex hardware like sensors, cameras, or RF communications
    — “Experience designing production systems for controllers, sensors, cameras, optics, or long-range RF communications, as demonstrated by successful fielding of multiple products
  • Individuals skilled in mechanical design tools and capable of leading DFM initiatives
    — “Proficient in mechanical design tools and analysis, including but not limited to mechanical CAD, FEA, GD&T/drawing creation, and tolerance stack analysis

Things to consider

  • Extended hours and weekend work may be required for critical project milestones
    — “Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project milestones
  • Travel to Texas or vendor locations may be necessary, which could impact work-life balance
    — “Occasional travel may be required to Starbase, Texas and/or off-site vendor locations

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with DFM and process improvement in aerospace or high-reliability contexts
    — “Develop design-for-manufacturing (DFM) guidelines and maintain a collaborative relationship with design engineering
  • Emphasize your ability to analyze root causes and implement corrective actions in manufacturing processes
    — “Analyze root cause and provide corrective actions for process escapes or process variability
  • Demonstrate a history of introducing automation or capital equipment to improve production efficiency
    — “Experience introducing capital equipment / automating processes, including process control and preventative maintenance plans
  • Include examples of working across organizational lines to influence and share information effectively
    — “Experience with sharing information and influencing others across organizational lines
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Mid Level

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

What success looks like

  • developed and delivered new factory stations and production assets
  • designed and delivered mechanical tooling
  • developed DFM guidelines
  • reduced vehicle cost and ease of production
  • analyzed root cause and provided corrective actions for process escapes
Typical background
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or industrial engineering1+ years of manufacturing engineering experience

Skills & requirements

Required

Mechanical Design ToolsAnalysisMechanical CADFEAGd&t/drawing CreationTolerance Stack AnalysisPCB FabricationPCBA Assembly ProcessesEquipmentDesign-for-manufacturing (dfm) RequirementsElectro-mechanical Assembly ProcessesProcess Failure Modes And Effects Analysis (pfmea)Corrective ActionsCapital Equipment / AutomationProcess ControlPreventative Maintenance PlansHigh-volume Or High-reliability Manufacturing EnvironmentReducing Processing Cost

Preferred

Experience With Sharing Information And Influencing Others Across Organizational LinesStrong Written And Verbal Communication SkillsProficiency In Pulling And Managing Data

Stack & domain

Mechanical Design ToolsAnalysisMechanical CADFEAGd&t/drawing CreationTolerance Stack AnalysisPCB FabricationPCBA Assembly ProcessesElectro-mechanical Assembly ProcessesProcess Failure Modes And Effects Analysis (pfmea)Capital Equipment / AutomationProcess ControlPreventative Maintenance PlansHigh-volume ManufacturingHigh-reliability ManufacturingValue Stream EvaluationSharing InformationInfluencing OthersWorking AutonomouslyTeamworkWritten And Verbal CommunicationMaking PresentationsCollaborationProblem-solvingAerospaceElectro-mechanical ComponentsManufacturing Engineering

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.

PRODUCTION ENGINEER (STARSHIP ELECTRONICS)

The Starship Electronics team has taken the challenge to develop hardware for the Starship spacecraft and SuperHeavy booster. In this role you will support production of all electrical systems, from communications to power, navigation, and even crewed life support. This will be one of the most sophisticated and largest vehicles flown in space, where low cost and high production rates are required to enable the mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop, standardize, and continuously improve process chains required to deliver Starship electronics components

Design and deliver new factory stations and production assets, aimed at expanding capability, reducing cycle time, and improving yield

Design and deliver mechanical tooling required to build, test, and deliver avionics hardware. Tooling to include both custom mechanical tools (e.g. fixturing) as well as capital automation equipment

Develop design-for-manufacturing (DFM) guidelines and maintain a collaborative relationship with design engineering to co-design the product and factory

Act as an expert on low-cost, high-reliability manufacturing techniques for aerospace electro-mechanical components

Guide high-level vehicle architecture and requirements trade studies to reduce vehicle cost and ease of production

Analyze root cause and provide corrective actions for process escapes or process variability, including mechanical processes on the final assembly (e.g. fastener torque) and electrical processes on printed circuit boards (e.g. soldering)

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or industrial engineering

1+ years of manufacturing engineering experience via project team, research, internship, and/or professional experience

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Experience with sharing information and influencing others across organizational lines

Experience working both autonomously and as a team in a highly demanding environment

Strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to make presentations to engineering, team members, internal customers and management

Proficient in mechanical design tools and analysis, including but not limited to mechanical CAD, FEA, GD&T/drawing creation, and tolerance stack analysis

Experience with PCB fabrication or PCBA assembly processes, equipment, and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) requirements

Experience with electro-mechanical assembly processes, equipment, and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) requirements

Experience designing production systems for controllers, sensors, cameras, optics, or long-range RF communications, as demonstrated by successful fielding of multiple products

Experience with process failure modes and effects analysis (PFMEA), with demonstrated corrective actions to reduce process risk and increase process control

Experience introducing capital equipment / automating processes, including process control and preventative maintenance plans

Experience working in a high-volume or high-reliability manufacturing environment

Experience reducing processing cost through cycle time, labor time, reliability / yield, or other forms of value stream evaluation

Proficiency in pulling and manipulating data via one or more programming languages (eg. SQL, python)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project milestones

Occasional travel may be required to Starbase, Texas and/or off-site vendor locations

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:

Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00

Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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 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.

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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