Materials Engineer

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. MATERIALS ENGINEER (STARSHIP)

Our Starship Materials Engineering team serves as experts in various materials disciplines for the broader company and works to make the best rockets and spacecraft in the world. As a member of this team, you will constantly improve the materials and processes that make Starship possible—from production through flight, maintenance, and reuse. This role applies materials engineering across the Starship program, developing and qualifying materials and processes for reliability in extreme environments on both new vehicles and those returning from flight. 

You will apply special processing of metals—including plate, bar, and sheet processing, casting, forging, coatings, and heat treating—to the design, build, maintenance, and refurbishment of Starship hardware. If your goal is to make an impact at the cutting edge of materials and manufacturing technologies, this is the role for you. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Design, develop, and deploy materials and process direction for Starship design, manufacturing, maintenance, and refurbishment 
• Increase reliability of Starship manufacturing, maintenance, and reuse processes through material and process selection, analysis, development, and test 
• Develop physical, mechanical, and thermal properties for materials 
• Improve our special processes and materials through characterization and development 
• Work directly with component design build and test engineering, design reliability, and production teams daily 
• Perform root cause investigations using fractography, metallography, and testing 
• Provide technical reviews and advising for design efforts specifically related to drawings, specifications, and material requirements 
• Collaborate with other engineers, subject matter experts, and technicians to solve complex material and processing challenges on our current and next generation vehicles 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor's degree in materials engineering or other engineering discipline with emphasis on materials 
• 5+ years of professional work experience in a materials engineering related role 
• Experience and expertise with multiple of the following manufacturing methods: tribological coatings (conversion, inorganic, dry-film lubricants), sheet/plate metal processing, casting, forging, brazing, welding, and heat treating