SpaceX Manufacturing Engineer, Machining at SpaceX leads development and expansion of in-house machining capabilities for Starship components. Responsible for optimizing manufacturing processes, equipment procurement, and cost reduction initiatives.
Responsibilities
Lead the development and expansion of in-house machining capabilities for the SpaceX Starship components team, ensuring the delivery of high-precision, mission-critical piece parts to factory assembly lines with unwavering quality and efficiency.
Conduct advanced Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analyses on piece parts and assemblies, optimizing designs for seamless manufacturing, assembly, and testing while driving innovation in production scalability.
Foster strategic feedback loops with downstream operations, including design, testing, and integration teams, to champion product success, enable rapid iterative improvements, and mitigate risks proactively.
Oversee the investigation and resolution of quality issues from piece part inspections, authorizing dispositions for out-of-tolerance conditions through rigorous root-cause analysis, informed by comprehensive use-case evaluations, assembly impacts, and testing protocols.
Spearhead the identification, procurement, installation, and ongoing maintenance of machine shop equipment, including calibration protocols, to sustain peak operational performance and compliance with industry-leading standards.
Direct the overarching strategy for capital expenditures (CapEx), staffing models, equipment specifications, production layouts, training programs, and advanced machining processes, continuously evolving them to align with evolving mission objectives and technological advancements.
Champion cost optimization and reduction initiatives across fabrication and manufacturing processes, leveraging data-driven insights to achieve significant savings without compromising quality or safety.
Innovate and refine manufacturing and fabrication methodologies, techniques, and best practices, integrating cutting-edge tools and automation to enhance throughput, precision, and sustainability.
Strategically recommend and implement enhancements to operational sequences, equipment utilization, and workflow efficiencies, resulting in measurable gains in productivity and resource allocation.
Collaborate cross-functionally with other SpaceX machine shop facilities and external partners to harmonize capabilities, resolve capacity constraints, optimize scheduling, and cultivate a shared ecosystem of resources for enterprise-wide scalability.
Qualification
5+ years of machining experienceExperience operating CNCs
Required
Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or physics
5+ years of machining experience
Experience with taking products from research and development into production
Preferred
Master's degree or PhD in an engineering discipline
3+ years of experience in a leadership position in a manufacturing environment
Experience setting up and operating state-of-the art machining equipment
Well versed in standard machine shop manufacturing processes and set ups
Experience operating CNCs, conventional lathe and mill machines, and other machine shop equipment used to manufacture high-precision parts
Demonstrated proficiency in CNC programming (lathes and mills)
Well versed in GD&T and inspection procedures
Highly experienced with a variety of precision conventional and advance metrology systems (photogrammetry, CMMs, 3D imaging)
