Supplier Development Engineer (Mechanical Engineering)
Starbase, TXfull time
On Site
entry
H1B: no
SpaceX Supplier Development Engineer responsible for supporting Starship program by enabling suppliers to meet manufacturing and quality requirements for rocket components. Owns new product introduction and resolves manufacturing challenges.
Responsibilities
Serve as the technical point of contact for assigned parts and assemblies of the rocket, solving emergent challenges at suppliers, and mitigating risk to the manifest by addressing high-impact manufacturing and quality challenges
Own the new product introduction of new assemblies on the rocket, including determining the ideal manufacturing method, identifying suppliers, and developing a reliable process for ramping to rate. This individual is expected to be the extreme owner for the process at suppliers for new parts, drawing changes, or when re-sourcing existing parts to a new supplier
Conduct design for manufacturing (DFM) reviews to ensure parts are manufacturable at early stages, preferably prior to sourcing
Work with procurement to find exceptional suppliers and vet them appropriately for quality and ability to meet our aggressive takt times
Create and develop specifications as needed to flow down quality and manufacturing requirements to the supply base
Scope out new forming, cutting, and inspection technologies and suppliers that may be employed to improve rate/quality/efficiency
Review issues on assigned parts and solve to the root cause, implementing changes at the supplier, at SpaceX or both, as appropriate, drive further actions to closure, and re-source to new suppliers where appropriate
Create and disposition issue tickets where needed, working with engineering counterparts to implement, but not limited to, required re-work, repair or use as-is disposition
Become thoroughly familiar with your assigned parts and the processes that make up the overall assembly and become the primary point of contact for supply chain related defects on your parts
Demonstrate innovation, technical excellence, attention to detail, self-direction and courage to push the technical envelope which is conventionally held in the industry.
Lead containment activities on assigned parts, working with cross-functional counterparts to agree on scope, path forward and ultimate resolution
Qualification
Experience with engineering drawingsGeneral familiarity with welding (TIG
Required
Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
1+ years of experience with manufacturing and/or inspection of mechanical products in a production environment
Preferred
Master’s degree in engineering or business
Fundamental understanding of propulsion/fluid systems and the respective component manufacturing processes including: raw materials, draw forming, extrusions, seamless and welded tubing, pipe manufacturing, bending, welding, proof/pressure testing, and other forming & assembly processes.
Fundamental understanding of sheet metal forming, cutting, and assembly processes, particularly in stretch forming (longitudinal and transverse), stamping (progressing and transfer), spin forming, roll forming, roll bending, press brake forming, hydroforming and tube forming/bending of primarily, but not limited to, stainless and carbon steels.
Experience with machining and ancillary operations such as milling, turning, and tube cutting of materials
Experience with engineering drawings, modeling, GD&T, etc.
General familiarity with welding (TIG, MIG and orbital tube welding) of stainless and carbon steels is a plus
Knowledge of supplier quality processes (production part approval process, advanced product quality planning, first article inspection reports, etc.)
Knowledge of statistical techniques and methods, e.g., design of experiments, Lean, Six Sigma, etc.
