Sr. Operations Engineer, Launch Strategy (Falcon)

SpaceX•Long Beach, CA

About The Position

SpaceX is seeking a Senior Operations Engineer to help lead and guide the Launch organization and its partners by formalizing future launch plans, defining operational targets, and helping teams execute. The role combines operational analysis, industrial and process engineering, and business intelligence—including data engineering, visualization, and analysis—to inform business decisions in a fast-paced environment. A central responsibility is supporting launch manifest management and maintaining alignment across core stakeholders. The engineer will work with recovery, pad, vehicle maintenance and operations, production, test, and support teams. The role integrates analytics, process engineering, and cross-functional coordination to make the launch plan executable and achieve targets. The position also supports operating-plan and capital-investment decisions, labor analysis, and improvements to safety, reliability, and launch rate. The role requires travel to Vandenberg, Starbase, Hawthorne, and other sites as business needs require, up to 20%; passing an Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg; extended hours, nights, and weekends when the manifest requires; and regular time in the field at pads, recovery operations, and the production floor. Applicants must meet U.S. Government export-control eligibility requirements described in the posting.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or mathematics.
At least 2 years of experience in operations, process, or manufacturing engineering, or in a production or launch environment.
At least 2 years using data for analysis or modeling within Power BI, Python, or R.
Willingness to travel to Vandenberg, Starbase, Hawthorne, and other sites in support of business needs, up to 20%.
Ability to pass an Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg.
Willingness to work extended hours, nights, and weekends when the manifest requires it.
Willingness to spend time regularly in the field, including at pads, recovery operations, and the production floor.
Must meet the posting's U.S. Government export-control eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting a production, fleet, or launch manifest, including change control and cross-team schedule integration.
Project management experience, including defining, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing work.
Ability to shift priorities quickly in a fast-changing environment.
Clear communication across disciplines and management levels, including giving and receiving feedback.
Curiosity and a bias toward building strong working relationships.
Experience applying lean and quality tools, including process mapping, value-stream mapping, Six Sigma, Kaizen, root-cause analysis, and corrective action.
Experience with production-systems analysis, planning, integrated process scheduling, and asset allocation.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including developing options, cost-benefit cases, and clear recommendations for peers and leadership.

Responsibilities

Support Launch manifest planning and change management; maintain a current launch-plan picture, assess the effects of changes, and recommend decisions to keep the manifest achievable.
Provide daily visibility, weekly status, and monthly reviews of manifest and operations performance, including risks and schedule changes needed.
Translate the manifest into capacity, schedule, and resource demand for pads, recovery, vehicle maintenance and operations, production, and test; work with teams to close gaps before they cause launch slips.
Create feedback loops from manifest execution into requirements for minimal viable products and future proven-system designs.
Build an understanding of the launch ecosystem—including teams, hardware, production floor, environment, processes, systems, tools, and constraints—and develop quantified, executable improvements.
Integrate, organize, standardize, and relate operational data; produce insights, reports, and alerts that support manifest and operational decisions.
Develop and track key performance metrics, identify decision points, and recommend actions to optimize production and engineering against manifest and launch targets.
Analyze trends and operating metrics, brief leadership, set or adjust launch strategy and targets, and work with teams to act on data findings.
Provide day-to-day tactical recommendations for scheduling and execution in support of the manifest.
Identify, develop, and implement process improvements; conduct process engineering, value-stream mapping, and automation; and roll out best practices to internal and external stakeholders in priority order.
Solve engineering problems affecting safety, reliability, and rate when those constraints limit the manifest.
Partner with finance and launch teams to build and execute the annual operating plan, evaluate capital-expenditure return on investment, and identify and capture operating-expense reductions tied to manifest requirements.
Standardize labor-analysis assumptions, methods, and tools; support launch-team headcount planning, efficiency roadmaps, and demand forecasting against the manifest.

Benefits

Potential long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards.
Potential discretionary bonuses.
Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Comprehensive medical coverage.
Vision coverage.
Dental coverage.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Various other discounts and perks.
May accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation.
Eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year.
Paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy.