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.
FLUIDS ENGINEER (STARSHIP)
Starship is the largest and most capable space launch system ever developed. With the capability to deliver in excess of 100 metric tons to Earth’s orbit, it will fundamentally change access to space, and is the technology that will be used to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars. We will ultimately need thousands of Starships to accomplish that feat.
The production fluids team develops (1) machinery used for flight-like validation of all vehicles prior to flight, and (2) all gas generation farms to produce and distribute manufacturing and test gasses throughout the production site! We are looking for enthusiastic and creative individuals to pave the future of Starship production testing & automation. As a Fluids Engineer, you will be responsible for developing systems from the ground-up using multidisciplinary skills. Specifically, this involves taking a problem, breaking it down to its core fundamentals, and designing / building / deploying a solution in the form a production-grade automated fluids system. We are looking for exceptional and aspirational engineers ready to take on this challenge.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design, build, and deploy automated / manual fluids systems to support high-rate production vehicle performance validation testing
- Design, build, and deploy simple data acquisition and control systems for control and monitoring
- Own full integration, validation, and handoff to production of each test system at each deployed production cell
- Perform detailed fluids analysis to characterize and troubleshoot expected design performance
- Work closely with our in-house build shop to develop and own the scaling of the manufacturing line for your system
- Support critical vehicle test campaigns & operations, provide troubleshooting and technical support
- Develop and maintain detailed timelines to capture and communicate project progress
- Make high-value decisions on the fly, use feedback to continuously iterate and develop both product and process
- Support critical vehicle tests & operations, provide troubleshooting and technical support
- Develop build, maintenance, and upgrade plans for new and existing equipment to maximize up-time
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, or other technical discipline
- Hands-on project experience with mechanical/electrical systems
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- 2+ years of manufacturing design experience
- 2+ years of professional experience in the field of aerospace/mechanical/ process engineering
- 2+ years of experience with GD&T concepts
- 2+ years of experience with industrial waste/wastewater/chemical processing
- 2+ years of experience with oil and gas operations or processing
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment
- Experience with mechanical design, including basic structures calculations and design considerations
- Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter CAD
- Experience with fluid system design, build and test
- Electrical schematic design experience
- Hands-on experience building and commissioning high quality electrical control panels
- Experience in fast-paced iterative design and manufacturing environments
- Experience solving complex problems with little to no supervision on schedule as an individual or as a member of an integrated team
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to perform job duties that require standing, kneeling, crouching, twisting upper body, working in cramped positions in small openings and climbing hand over hand
- Typically exposed to work in outdoor environments – heat, cold, rain
- Schedule varies depending on site operational needs; must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as business needs require
- Flexibility to travel to other SpaceX sites
- Stand: Up to 3 hours per day
- Sit: Up to 6 hours per day
- Push/Pull: Up to 50lbs. (unassisted) Up to 15 minutes per day
- Overhead reach: Up to 3 hours per day
- Walk: Up to 3 hours per day
- Lift/Carry: Up to 25lbs. (unassisted) Up to 15 minutes per day
- Climb (ladder/stairs): Up to 1 hour per day
- Kneel/Crouch: N/A
- Upper body twist: N/A
- Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees: up to 30 minutes per day
- Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500ft), in confined spaces, using an air purifying respirator, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description. Candidate may be required to complete a pre-employment questionnaire and/or physical to confirm these capabilities, which may include a medical history review.
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 [email protected].
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in aerospace, manufacturing, mechanical engineering, or other technical discipline
- Hands-on project experience with mechanical and electrical systems
- Ability to perform physical job duties including standing, kneeling, crouching, climbing, working at heights, confined spaces, and use of air purifying respirator; may require pre-employment physical
- Flexibility to travel to other SpaceX sites and work extended hours/weekends as needed
- Must meet ITAR eligibility: U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or be eligible for required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State
- 2+ years manufacturing design experience
- 2+ years professional aerospace/mechanical/process engineering experience
- 2+ years experience with GD&T concepts
- 2+ years experience with industrial waste/wastewater/chemical processing
- 2+ years experience with oil and gas operations or processing
- Experience with mechanical design including basic structures calculations and considerations
- Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter CAD
- Experience with fluid system design, build, and test
- Electrical schematic design experience
- Hands-on experience building and commissioning high-quality electrical control panels
- Experience in fast-paced iterative design and manufacturing environments
- Ability to solve complex problems with little to no supervision
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment
SpaceX Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SpaceX and has not been reviewed or approved by SpaceX.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants are a core part of total compensation, with periodic company-run tender offers that create liquidity before any public listing. These mechanisms can make the equity component feel materially valuable in practice.
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Healthcare Strength — The package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with on-site clinics and health resources at major sites. This breadth of coverage is presented as a strong element of the offering.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Major locations feature on-site amenities such as fitness facilities, food/coffee, clinics, and other conveniences. These lifestyle perks enhance day-to-day value alongside cash and equity.
SpaceX Insights
What We Do
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of making life multiplanetary. SpaceX has gained worldwide attention for a series of historic milestones. It is the only private company ever to return a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit, which it first accomplished in December 2010. The company made history again in May 2012 when its Dragon spacecraft attached to the International Space Station, exchanged cargo payloads, and returned safely to Earth — a technically challenging feat previously accomplished only by governments. Since then Dragon has delivered cargo to and from the space station multiple times, providing regular cargo resupply missions for NASA.
