SpaceX Structural Engineer at SpaceX owns the structural design and analysis of the Starship catch tower from concept through launch operations. The role includes leading engineering teams and resolving design and construction conflicts onsite.
Responsibilities
Own the structural design and analysis of the tower and launch mount primary and secondary steel structures, including members, bolted and welded connections, anchorage, and foundation interfaces, across static, dynamic, thermal, and fatigue load cases spanning fabrication, lift and erection, vehicle stacking, launch, and booster catch
Perform all calculations necessary for structural steel and reinforced concrete design, and develop and issue drawings, design documentation, specifications, and reports
Develop load cases and structural design criteria in partnership with the analysis, mechanisms, fluids, and vehicle teams; translate vehicle and operational requirements into structural requirements and verify the design against them
Lead the project team, consulting engineers, fabricators, and contractors throughout the entirety of the structural engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, and commissioning process
Write and manage fabrication and construction contracts with subcontractors through contract close-out; own budget and schedule for your scope of work within a multi-disciplinary team
Develop and review erection, lifting, and rigging engineering for large steel assemblies, including temporary works, lift plans, and structural stability during all stages of construction
Specify weld joint design, inspection, and non-destructive examination (NDE) requirements; partner with the welding and quality teams to resolve fabrication and assembly discrepancies and disposition nonconformances
Manage the structural aspects of construction and integration in the field, including quality control, fit-up and tolerance resolution, and coordination of a multi-discipline contractor team
Provide direct onsite engineering inspections and field observations; resolve design and construction conflicts in the field in real time
Drive design for manufacturability and constructability changes that reduce build time, cost, and risk for current and next-generation towers
Lead post-launch structural inspections, damage assessments, repairs, and modifications required to turn the pad around between launches
Lead and participate in design reviews internally and with suppliers, contractors, and consulting engineers
Qualification
Bachelor's degree in civil engineeringExperience with SAP 2000Experience with lifting
Required
Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, or another engineering discipline
1+ years of experience in structural design, analysis, construction, or drafting (internship, co-op, and competition team experience qualifies)
Preferred
3+ years of professional experience in the structural design and analysis of steel structures (industrial, heavy civil, offshore, naval, crane and lifting, or aerospace ground support)
Experience with large steel structure design, fabrication, and construction (civil, naval, offshore, or mechanical)
Knowledge of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) steel manual, American Concrete Institute (ACI) 318, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7, International Building Code (IBC), and American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1 Structural Welding Code
Experience with bolted and welded connection design, fatigue evaluation of welded steel structures, and design for dynamic, transient, and thermal loading
Experience with SAP 2000, STAAD Pro, RISA-3D, ETABS, or similar structural analysis software
Experience with finite element analysis (FEA) software packages (ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran, or similar) for detailed stress, fatigue, and dynamic analysis
Experience creating structural detail drawings in AutoCAD, Revit, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or similar drafting programs; experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter product lifecycle management (PLM) systems
Experience with lifting, rigging, and erection engineering for heavy steel structures (ASME BTH-1, crane lift planning, temporary works)
