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.
OPERATIONS ENGINEER (RAPTOR)
As a Raptor engineer at SpaceX you will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge, experience, and creativity to develop hardware at the cutting edge of space technology. You will build the engines that will ultimately extend humanity’s reach beyond the earth and moon. The Raptor Operations Engineering team builds the machine that makes the machine, in this case the factory that builds the world’s most advanced rocket engine. Factory build and expansion, process flow, machine moves, and project planning all fall under the scope of this team. Ops engineers have an eye for detail and simplicity and make that become reality on the factory floor. If you like strategic planning, juggling many different priorities, improving part flow, and spending most of your time away from your desk, a role on the operations engineering team may be for you!
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design and own factory and production area layouts following the rules of clear visual indicators and linear flow
- Conduct job walks with vendors, negotiate prices and hold vendors to schedule
- Host process walks of production lines, and ask questions to determine what process steps can be deleted or simplified and help kick off the changes
- Execute on complex projects in the minimum amount of time and expense to the business
- Get hands-on, lead by example to gets projects completed rapidly
- Actively develop system and process improvements between production teams
- Develop tools to analyze delivery, capacity, cost problems for production to guide decisions
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
- 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a manufacturing environment
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Process engineering experience including project management, capacity modeling, process mapping, and layouts
- Experience with inventory, production, and capacity planning (including MRP/ERP systems)
- Experience as an industrial, operations, process or manufacturing engineer in a developmental manufacturing environment
- Experience with industrial facilities: HVAC, gases, electrical, structural/foundations, etc.
- 1+ years of experience in using Excel, SQL, or Python/R for analysis or modeling dynamic systems
- Experience with lean, six sigma, and related production principles
- Ability to work well across teams and skill sets to find the simplest and best solution
- Experience as a contributor to multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- This is a hands-on position that will require standing for long durations of your day and working directly with hardware on the floor
- Must be comfortable stooping, bending, and standing
- Position may require occasional travel, long hours or weekend work
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay range:
Operations Engineer /Level I: $95,000.00 - $115,000.00/per year
Operations Engineer /Level II: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00/per year
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.
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 an engineering discipline
- 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a manufacturing 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.
