Sr. Scheduler (Starship)

SpaceX
Starbase, TX
Career-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Geared toward candidates with aerospace or high-volume manufacturing experience comfortable with cross-functional leadership and constraint management across 12+ missions.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with aerospace or high-volume manufacturing experience and a track record in scaling rate-production
    — “Aerospace or high-volume manufacturing background, ideally with rate-production scaling
  • Individuals with advanced ERP/MRP and SQL expertise in high-volume production settings
    — “Advanced experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and SQL in high-volume production environments
  • Candidates who have led multi-disciplinary teams on strategic initiatives and implemented lean or Six Sigma frameworks
    — “Demonstrated success implementing enterprise-wide continuous improvement using lean principles, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), Kaizen, or equivalent frameworks

Things to consider

  • This role requires a high level of physical stamina and availability for extended hours and weekend shifts
    — “Must be available for all shifts, extended hours, and/or weekends as needed
  • The position necessitates a U.S. citizen or permanent resident due to ITAR export regulations
    — “applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with strategic scheduling and constraint resolution in complex manufacturing environments
    — “Lead production scheduling for multiple production work centers, including advanced forecasting of part shortages
  • Demonstrate leadership in cross-functional teams and supplier relationship management
    — “Partner with production, engineering, and supply chain teams to define, track, and execute daily/weekly goals
  • Showcase your ability to implement scheduling automation using tools like Python, VBA, or Power BI
    — “Champion scheduling automation initiatives across Starship Ship Engineering
  • Emphasize your experience with capacity analysis and long-term rate projections
    — “Conduct in-depth capacity analyses at work-center and program levels
  • Demonstrate your ability to lead and mentor junior staff in high-performance team cultures
    — “Mentor and develop junior schedulers, fostering a high-performance team culture
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · CompanyLevel · Senior

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

What success looks like

  • efficient production planning
  • successful rate targets
Typical background
manufacturing schedulingoperations experience

Skills & requirements

Required

Production SchedulingForecastingConstraint ManagementResource Allocation

Preferred

Mrp/erp SystemsSQL

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.

SR. SCHEDULER (STARSHIP) 

The Sr. Scheduler for SpaceX's Starship program leads efficient production planning by developing strategic rate-based schedules, forecasting long-term departmental capacity, resolving complex part shortages, and managing constraints across multiple builds. This role collaborates cross-functionally to establish and drive program-level goals, mentors junior schedulers, and optimizes resource allocation to achieve aggressive rate targets. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead production scheduling for multiple production work centers, including advanced forecasting of part shortages, long-term rate projections, and constraint management across 12+ missions

Develop and maintain rate-based master schedules for hardware lines

Own scenario modeling for optimal hardware allocation (new vs. refurb), incorporating customer manifests, quality requirements, and program priorities; present recommendations to senior leadership for stakeholder alignment and decision-making

Partner with production, engineering, and supply chain teams to define, track, and execute daily/weekly goals at the work-center and program level, balancing personnel, equipment, and facility constraints against overarching rate objectives

Cultivate and manage relationships with internal/external suppliers, implementing robust communication protocols for hardware needs, delivery dates, and escalations to ensure schedule reliability

Orchestrate scheduling and prioritization of hardware across shared resources enterprise-wide; negotiate with peer leaders, resolve conflicts, and drive innovative solutions that maximize program outcomes

Leverage MRP/ERP systems and advanced SQL queries to proactively identify shortages, expedite material flow, and integrate data into real-time dashboards for build visibility

Champion scheduling automation initiatives across Starship Ship Engineering, leading development of tools/scripts (e.g., VBA, Power BI, Python) to eliminate manual processes and scale operations

Conduct in-depth capacity analyses at work-center and program levels to mitigate near- and long-term risks; identify systemic gaps in models/communications, and spearhead proactive/reactive initiatives to prevent slips

Root-cause chronic schedule issues during builds, leading cross-functional teams to implement permanent fixes; facilitate assembly/integration alignment discussions and drive blocker resolution at scale

Mentor and develop junior schedulers, fostering a high-performance team culture; lead continuous improvement projects using lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen to enhance yield, quality, safety, cost, and efficiency

Support strategic program reviews, providing data-driven insights on production readiness, risk profiles, and rate attainment to influence Starship development roadmap

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of manufacturing scheduling, planning, or operations experience; OR 8+ years of professional experience in manufacturing scheduling, planning, or operations in lieu of a degree

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

Advanced experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and SQL in high-volume production environments

Exceptional problem-solving with a proven bias for speed, accuracy, and scalable solutions in high-stakes environments

Highly self-motivated leader with experience prioritizing amid ambiguity to deliver customer/company objectives

Strong ability to build and lead supplier/customer relationships in fast-paced, matrixed organizations

Proficiency in coding/scripting (e.g., SQL, VBA, Python) and tools like MS Office Suite, Smartsheet, Power BI, Confluence, JIRA

Demonstrated success implementing enterprise-wide continuous improvement using lean principles, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), Kaizen, or equivalent frameworks

Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams on strategic initiatives, with project management certifications (e.g., PMP, Agile)

Aerospace or high-volume manufacturing background, ideally with rate-production scaling

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be available for all shifts, extended hours, and/or weekends as needed

Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs. unassisted

Must be able to stand for extended periods - 8 hours minimum

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)

Similar roles