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.
MECHANICAL ENGINEER, HEATSHIELD (STARSHIP)
Starship requires a robust Thermal Protection System (TPS) to withstand the extreme heat generated during atmospheric reentry at hypersonic speeds. The thermal hardware team is responsible for the design, analysis, integration, and continuous improvement of Starship's reentry heat shield and structures. As a thermal hardware engineer, you will drive the development of the next-generation heatshield from concept and detailed mechanical design to thermal-structural modeling, qualification testing, production, integration, flight rationale, and post-flight data-driven optimizations. At Starbase, you will have the opportunity to work in an exciting and dynamic environment, dividing your time between the office and the production floor to ensure the delivery of the best-engineered product and ultimately mission success.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop, test, and qualify new or refined thermal protection system solutions for our Starship architecture
- Own the outcome and set up the end-to-end solutions to thermal challenges from idea to flying hardware
- Work with production on resolving issues on the floor and on the vehicle with our flight hardware
- Analyze and troubleshoot post-flight conditions on vehicle heatshields to drive vehicle changes and improvements
- Coordinate with analysis, avionics, structures, supply chain, and reliability engineers to drive multidisciplinary projects
- Work with outside vendors, suppliers, and testing resources to bring in new materials, capabilities, or processes
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in material science, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or aerospace engineering
- 1+ years of engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building mechanical or thermal systems (internship and school projects experience qualify)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- 3+ years of experience working on thermal protection systems
- Strong fundamentals in aerothermal heating on reentry vehicles
- Strong fundamentals in the materials and mechanisms by which thermal protection systems operate
- Hands-on experience with hardware that has had to perform in challenging thermal environments such as rockets, reentry vehicles or other extreme temperature applications
- Ability to drive open-ended design and development challenges
- Familiarity and experience with production, installation, qualification, and use of thermal protection system materials
- Experience using Siemens NX, or similar CAD software
- Ability to perform basic thermal or mechanical analysis
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
- Ability to travel domestically
- Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral
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 material science, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or aerospace engineering
- 1+ years engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building mechanical or thermal systems (internship/school projects qualify)
- Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
- Ability to travel domestically
- Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral
- Meet ITAR eligibility (U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible for required State Department authorizations)
- 3+ years of experience working on thermal protection systems
- Strong fundamentals in aerothermal heating on reentry vehicles
- Hands-on experience with hardware operating in extreme thermal environments (rockets, reentry vehicles, etc.)
- Familiarity with production, installation, qualification, and use of TPS materials
- Experience using Siemens NX or similar CAD software
- Ability to perform basic thermal or mechanical analysis
- Ability to drive open-ended design and development challenges
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.
