Composites Technician (COPV)
About The Position
The Starship COPV Composites Technician manufactures flight-critical composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) used to store high-pressure gases on Starship and Super Heavy. This is a hands-on production role: preparing metallic liners, filament-winding the composite overwrap, curing, and trimming, finishing, and assembling COPV hardware to engineering drawings and process specifications. This position is onsite at a SpaceX production facility supporting Starship COPV manufacturing. The successful candidate is detail-oriented, comfortable working from travelers and work instructions, and able to produce consistent, high-quality composite work in a fast-paced flight-hardware environment.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalency certificate
- 1+ years of experience working with in a manufacturing environment
Nice To Haves
- Experience manufacturing composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) or other filament-wound pressure-critical hardware
- Experience operating CNC or programmable filament winding machines
- Experience controlling hoop and helical wind patterns, fiber tension, bandwidth, and resin content
- Experience drilling, reaming, honing, and/or countersinking close-tolerance holes, and installing fasteners with the correct tool for the job (drill motor, power screwdriver, C-squeeze, ratchet wrench, nut runner, rivet gun and bucking bar, etc.)
- Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, including drawing symbols, flag notes, and general notes
- Ability to follow written and verbal instructions and to work from travelers and SOPs (standard operating procedures)
- Experience with oven or autoclave cure cycles and thermocouple placement
- Experience building flight hardware or other pressure-critical composite structures
- Attention to detail and accuracy while working in a fast-paced production environment
Responsibilities
- Prepare metallic COPV liners and bond interfaces for overwrap, including grit blast, hand abrasion, and power abrasion
- Manufacture COPVs by filament winding composite fiber onto liners, including hoop and helical winding patterns, fiber tension, and resin application (wet winding and/or towpreg)
- Set up, operate, and tend filament winding equipment; load liners, verify winding programs, and monitor fiber path, bandwidth, and resin wet-out during the wrap
- Mix, handle, and apply resins and adhesives per process specification, including pot life, mix ratio, and material traceability
- Cure COPV overwraps and bonded assemblies in ovens or autoclaves, including thermocouple placement and process monitoring
- Trim and finish composite and composite-metallic COPV assemblies to drawing requirements
- Assemble COPV hardware, including setup, bonding, and fastener installation at bosses, fittings, and related structure
- Complete basic layouts on parts and assemblies to establish reference points and verify dimensions using calipers, micrometers, precision scales, and torque wrenches
- Follow travelers, work instructions, and standard operating procedures; record work and nonconformances as required
- Maintain FOD control, material traceability, and a clean, organized work area in a high-rate production environment
Benefits
- Company stock or long-term cash awards
- Discretionary bonuses
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Medical coverage
- Vision coverage
- Dental coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Short-term disability insurance
- Long-term disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- Various other discounts and perks
- 3 weeks of paid vacation
- 10 or more paid holidays per year
- Paid sick leave
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
