Fluid Systems Engineer, Starlink Infrastructure

SpaceX•Bastrop, TX

8h•Onsite

About The Position

The Starlink Infrastructure team is building production facilities in Bastrop, Texas, supporting manufacturing of solar cells, user terminals, and PCBAs, as well as terrestrial and in-space SI data centers. The team is responsible for specialty fluid infrastructure, including chemical and specialty gas delivery, cryogenic storage and distribution, zero-liquid discharge wastewater processing, air-separation units, and freshwater intake and treatment. The Fluid Systems Engineer leads the design, construction, and commissioning of these systems, taking ownership from initial requirements through activation and sustained operation. The role supports large-scale chip fabrication, solar production, SI compute, and Starlink satellite production. It includes project management, field construction coordination, contractor oversight, system safety and regulatory compliance, controls and monitoring, integration with manufacturing equipment, troubleshooting, and ongoing performance improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, or another engineering discipline.
At least 1 year of hands-on build or design experience; internship, club, and competition team experience qualifies.
Ability to travel frequently for work, potentially for extended periods during machine buyoffs and startup.
Ability to lift 25 lbs. unassisted.
Ability to perform the physical activities generally required for the position, including lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying.
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical milestones.
Must meet SpaceX’s stated ITAR eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in engineering or a related field.
At least 2 years of experience in fluid systems design, particularly involving gases or hazardous chemicals in manufacturing or semiconductor industries.
At least 2 years of experience managing construction projects, design consultants, and mechanical contractors.
Knowledge of safety protocols for pyrophoric materials such as silane and toxic gases and chemicals such as phosphine and HF.
Knowledge of ASME B31.3 and SEMI S2/S8 standards, and experience integrating fluid systems with cleanroom HVAC.
Familiarity with cleanroom fluid systems, gas cabinets, scrubbers, and wastewater neutralization for solar cell fabrication.
Familiarity with air separation units for gaseous nitrogen production.
Certification in process safety, such as CSP or Six Sigma Green Belt, or hazardous materials handling.
Experience with process safety management, including risk assessment and regulatory compliance.
Proficiency with fluid dynamics software such as ANSYS Fluent or Pipe-Flo and CAD tools such as AutoCAD or SolidWorks for system modeling, diagramming, and analysis.
Creativity in designing systems for reliability, efficiency, and maintainability from a blank sheet.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, iterative environment and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to rapidly shift roles and responsibilities while maintaining urgency in a demanding environment.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and activate fluid systems for bulk and specialty gas distribution, chemical delivery, exhaust systems, and zero-liquid-discharge wastewater plants.
Own projects from requirement definition through design, justification of key decisions, equipment procurement, build coordination, commissioning, and project management.
Manage facility construction projects, including schedules, cost estimates, and budgets.
Manage in-field construction and contractor relationships as the primary contact for contracted work; oversee safety, schedule, and field coordination, remove blockers, and drive the critical path.
Manage selection, procurement, installation, and activation of bulk storage tanks, pumps, heat exchangers, gas panels, valves, scrubbers, and abatement systems.
Apply fluid and mechanical engineering fundamentals, including P&ID development, equipment sizing, fluid and thermal analysis, system-level CONOP development, structural analysis, and materials and component selection.
Perform safety and hazard assessments, including FMEAs and HAZOPs, and develop hazardous-system designs that address emergency shutdowns, redundancy, and hazardous-material safety standards.
Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, ASME, NFPA, and SEMI standards for chemical and gas handling, and collaborate with fire and life safety engineers on code requirements.
Design, build, and deploy data acquisition and control systems for facility fluid control and monitoring.
Collaborate with process engineers to integrate fluid systems with manufacturing equipment and optimize delivery rates, purity, and process-fluid recovery and recycling.
Support installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting with facilities operations, EHS, automation, and procurement teams; resolve issues and implement improvements.
Track system performance metrics, including flow rates, contamination levels, and downtime, and drive continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and fluid reuse initiatives.