Sr. Starship Engineer, Structures

SpaceX

Mar 07, 2025
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. STARSHIP ENGINEER, STRUCTURES SpaceX is committed to developing revolutionary space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket - collectively referred to as Starship - represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Starship engineers will develop SpaceX's Starship spacecraft, solving complex problems relating to Ship, Booster, primary and secondary structures, thermal protection systems, aerodynamic control surfaces, stage separation systems, recovery systems, and more! RESPONSIBILITIES: Own primary and secondary structures on Starship Design flight hardware to achieve ascent, entry, and rapid reuse of next generation Starship launch vehicle Develop design criteria where definition is lacking Perform hand calculations and FEA to develop, assess, and optimize designs Incorporate design for manufacturing principles and supervise first article builds Work and drive cross-functional teams to balance operational needs across vehicle systems while optimizing for speed, performance, and cost Design and execute qualification testing BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline 5+ years of experience with mechanical design and analysis (competition team or internship experience qualifies) PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Experience designing, analyzing, building, and testing high performance, mechanical systems. Experience working within interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to challenging and complex problems. Experience with FEA or multiphysics simulation package (e.g. NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS) Experience designing and executing qualification testing Strong understanding of mechanical first principles and structural analysis methodologies. Proficiency in selecting materials and manufacturing methods for mechanical components. Analytical/scientific programming experience (i.e. Python, Matlab, Excel) Self-motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills 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.