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.
TOOLING ENGINEER, PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING (STARLINK)
SpaceX is developing a low-latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable.
Working directly in the materials engineering group, this position is responsible for the development, qualification, and implementation of all tooling and manufacturing process technologies required to deliver the right scalable solution at the right cost on time. The correct individual will bring an open mindset, challenge the status quo with regard to traditional vs. emerging technologies, and utilize a logical and disciplined approach to evaluate and select the correct set of solutions. The candidate will drive alignment between design, material, and process selection and will own the seamless integration of these processes into the overall process flow.
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in consumer electronics product and tooling development with domestic as well as Asian suppliers, tooling material selection, resin selection, and qualification, high volume manufacturing, secondary processes, DOE experience and the ability to run multiple programs in parallel with excellent communication and collaboration skills.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Work on the development of new plastic injection tooling projects to meet a wide range of product performance and cosmetic requirements
- Work on refining the design for the manufacturing process by collaborating with supply management, product design, industrial design, and manufacturing engineering groups on material selection, design feasibility, and aesthetics of new plastic part and tooling designs
- Research and identify new materials, manufacturing technologies, and finish options
- Inform estimations of prototype and production manufacturing costs - tooling, secondary assembly, secondary finishing, and piece part
- Participate in supplier audits and final supplier selection
- Write prototype/development tooling request for quotes (RFQs)
- Publish and maintain a live master tooling schedule
- Review DFM from the supplier, including gating strategy, Moldflow, and Mold Warp analysis
- Review and approve prototype/development tool designs, and tooling maintenance procedures
- Track suppliers' weekly build progress while participating in T1 samples
- Direct tooling modifications while ultimately responsible for approving TF parts, first article inspection (FAI) reports, and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) reports
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, materials engineering, or other engineering discipline
- 1+ years of experience in direct hands-on injection mold design and/or injection mold construction (internship experience qualifies)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- 3+ years of experience in direct hands-on injection mold design and/or injection mold construction
- Detailed understanding of plastics molding-related process variables and their impact on throughput, quality, and yield rate
- Strong to expert-level 3D CAD skills, including advanced surfacing and large assemblies
- Siemens NX fluency or must be able to learn and adopt it quickly, as it will be the design package used (NX 2306)
- Knowledge and experience in scientific molding/RJG molding
- Strong experience in setting up and performing detailed mold simulations (Autodesk Moldflow)
- Knowledge and experience with Liquid Silicone Rubber molding (LSR)
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors for extended periods of time (~ 50% of the time) including international
- Ability to lift up to 40 Ibs unassisted
- Standing and/or walking for long periods of time
- Willingness to work long hours and weekends as necessary to accommodate manufacturing and test campaigns
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 mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or another engineering discipline
- At least 1 year of direct hands-on injection mold design or injection mold construction experience; internship experience qualifies
- At least 3 years of direct hands-on injection mold design or injection mold construction experience
- Detailed understanding of plastics molding process variables and their effects on throughput, quality, and yield
- Strong to expert-level 3D CAD skills, including advanced surfacing and large assemblies
- Siemens NX fluency or ability to quickly learn and adopt NX 2306
- Knowledge and experience in scientific molding or RJG molding
- Strong experience setting up and performing detailed mold simulations using Autodesk Moldflow
- Knowledge and experience with Liquid Silicone Rubber molding
- Willingness to travel to SpaceX sites and vendors for extended periods, including international travel, approximately 50% of the time
- Ability to lift up to 40 pounds unassisted
- Ability to stand and walk for long periods
- Willingness to work long hours and weekends as needed for manufacturing and test campaigns
- Must satisfy applicable ITAR authorization requirements
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.
