Sr. Manufacturing Engineer, Machining (Starship)

SpaceX • Hawthorne, CA

4h • $135,000 - $215,000

About The Position

SpaceX is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Machining, to lead machining capability development for the Starship components team. The role connects engineering and production, providing input into hardware design and development and leading manufacturing and integration activities for current and next-generation vehicles. The engineer will help deliver high-precision, mission-critical parts to factory assembly lines while maintaining quality, efficiency, and safety.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or physics.
• At least 5 years of machine shop experience.
• Experience taking products from research and development into production.
• Available to work long hours and weekends as needed.
• Comfortable stooping, bending, and standing.
• Able to lift or carry up to 25 pounds unassisted for 1–2 hours per day.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or PhD in an engineering discipline.
• At least 3 years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience setting up and operating state-of-the-art machining equipment.
• Knowledge of standard machine shop manufacturing processes and setups.
• Experience operating CNCs, conventional lathes and milling machines, and other equipment used to manufacture high-precision parts.
• Demonstrated proficiency in CNC programming for lathes and mills.
• Knowledge of GD&T and inspection procedures.
• Experience with precision conventional and advanced metrology systems, including photogrammetry, CMMs, and 3D imaging.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and expansion of in-house machining capabilities for Starship components.
• Conduct Design for Manufacturability analyses on parts and assemblies to improve manufacturing, assembly, testing, and production scalability.
• Create feedback loops with design, testing, integration, and downstream operations teams to support product success, iterative improvements, and risk mitigation.
• Investigate and resolve quality issues identified during part inspections, including authorizing dispositions for out-of-tolerance conditions and performing root-cause analysis.
• Identify, procure, install, calibrate, and maintain machine shop equipment.
• Develop and direct strategies for capital expenditures, staffing, equipment specifications, production layouts, training, and machining processes.
• Lead cost optimization and reduction initiatives across fabrication and manufacturing.
• Develop and improve manufacturing and fabrication methods, techniques, and best practices, including the use of tools and automation.
• Recommend and implement improvements to operational sequences, equipment utilization, and workflow efficiency.
• Collaborate with other SpaceX machine shop facilities and external partners to align capabilities, address capacity constraints, optimize scheduling, and share resources.

Benefits

• Potential eligibility for company stock or long-term cash awards.
• Potential discretionary bonuses.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount.
• Medical coverage.
• Vision coverage.
• Dental coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Various discounts and perks.
• Accrual of 3 weeks of paid vacation.
• 10 or more paid holidays per year.
• Paid sick leave pursuant to company policy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior