Sr. Manufacturing Engineer, Machining (Starship)

SpaceX•Hawthorne, CA

About The Position

SpaceX is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer for its Starship machining operations. The role owns the relationship between engineering and production and contributes to the design and development of hardware, manufacturing, and integration for current and next-generation vehicles. The engineer will develop in-house machining capabilities and deliver high-precision, mission-critical parts to factory assembly lines while maintaining quality and efficiency. The position leads manufacturing strategy and continuous improvement, including design-for-manufacturability analysis, machine shop equipment and calibration, capital expenditures, staffing, production layouts, training, machining processes, cost reduction, automation, and workflow optimization. It also works closely with design, testing, integration, other SpaceX machine shops, and external partners to support product success and enterprise-wide production scalability.

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 lbs. unassisted for 1–2 hours per day.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or PhD in an engineering discipline.
At least 3 years of experience in a leadership position 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 lathe and mill machines, and other equipment used to manufacture high-precision parts.
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 and ensure high-precision parts are delivered to factory assembly lines with quality and efficiency.
Conduct Design for Manufacturability analyses on parts and assemblies to improve manufacturing, assembly, testing, and production scalability.
Build feedback loops with design, testing, integration, and downstream operations to support product success, iterative improvements, and proactive risk mitigation.
Investigate and resolve quality issues from part inspections and authorize dispositions for out-of-tolerance conditions using root-cause analysis and evaluations of use cases, assembly impacts, and testing protocols.
Identify, procure, install, and maintain machine shop equipment, including calibration protocols.
Direct strategies for capital expenditures, staffing, equipment specifications, production layouts, training, and machining processes.
Lead cost optimization and reduction initiatives across fabrication and manufacturing while maintaining quality and safety.
Develop and refine manufacturing and fabrication methods and best practices, including the use of advanced tools and automation.
Recommend and implement improvements to operational sequences, equipment utilization, and workflows to increase productivity and improve resource allocation.
Collaborate with other SpaceX machine shops 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 and discretionary bonuses.
Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Medical, vision, and dental coverage.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Various other discounts and perks.
Accrual of 3 weeks of paid vacation.
10 or more paid holidays per year.
Paid sick leave pursuant to company policy.