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.
STRUCTURES DESIGN ENGINEER (STARSHIP)
The structures design engineer is responsible for designing and building flight hardware such as propellant tanks, integration interfaces, primary structures, and structural subassemblies. You will be empowered to make real-time decisions, solve complex problems on the fly, and own end-to-end processes. The role will require the readiness to develop subject matter expertise in design for manufacturability, specifically those related to sheet metal and subassembly design and fabrication. If you are ready to be a hardware owner, eager to get out from behind a desk, and be hands-on working alongside a world-class production team, this may be the right role for you.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design metallic structures and propulsion fluid systems under accelerated timelines
- Review specifications and other engineering data to develop mechanical systems
- Update designs and drawings through engineering change orders to support SpaceX's rapid pace of design iteration
- Create detailed component and assembly drawings incorporating an understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
- 1+ years of mechanical design and drafting experience (including internships or personal projects)
- Experience with 3D CAD software (NX, Solidworks, etc)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Solid understanding and application of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
- Hands-on experience working in school club or project teams designing hardware in a highly constrained system under defined timelines
- Familiarity with sheet metal design, welded structures, and fluid systems
- Ability to manage large assembly models and drawings
- Ability to work and communicate well in an integrated team including daily interactions with technicians, engineers, and leadership
- Creative problem solver that can bring multiple disciplines together to achieve buy-in for a unified design direction
- Self-motivated with strong multi-tasking, organizational, communication and documentation skills
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be available to work long hours and weekends as needed
- Willing to travel to various SpaceX sites (up to 25%)
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 mechanical design and drafting experience (including internships or personal projects)
- Experience with 3D CAD software (NX, SolidWorks, etc.)
- Must be available to work long hours and weekends as needed
- Willing to travel to various SpaceX sites (up to 25%)
- ITAR eligibility: U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations
- Solid understanding and application of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
- Familiarity with sheet metal design, welded structures, and fluid systems
- Hands-on experience working in teams designing hardware under constrained timelines
- Ability to manage large assembly models and drawings
- Strong communication, multi-tasking, organizational and documentation skills
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.
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