Sr. Recovery Engineer (F9 Booster & Fairings)

SpaceX•Long Beach, CA

2d•$135,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

SpaceX operates the world’s first automated unmanned vessel certified to land orbital class vehicles. This role has the opportunity to work with an elite team to develop and execute the processing operations of landed Falcon 9 boosters and fairings. Recovering and re-flying rockets is historic and has changed the industry for the future…and you could be a part of that team.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
5+ years of experience developing and/or processing aerospace or aviation systems
Position may require long hours (10-12+ hour days) and weekend work
Willing to work in extreme outdoor environments – heat, cold, rain, wind, open ocean
Ability to work in a high-stress environment
Willing to support offshore operations, including working recovery missions at sea
Ability to climb ladders and work in tight/confined spaces
Willing to work with hazardous materials
Ability to operate heavy machinery
Ability to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
Must have a valid driver’s license
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

5+ years of hands-on experience building, maintaining, modifying, troubleshooting and operating ground support equipment
Experience operating fluid, mechanical, or electrical systems and background working with complex, multi-disciplinary system assemblies
Experience planning, executing, leading and improving operations involving more than 10 personnel
Experience with critical operations where real-time decision-making affects success criteria
Able to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment including daily communication/interactions with technicians, engineers, and managers
Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment
Self-motivated and directed with keen attention to detail
Ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work
Detail oriented, organized, and demonstrate a high sense of urgency

Responsibilities

Own overall mission campaigns to process Falcon 9 boosters and fairings at the Port of Long Beach
Develop procedures, test plans, and concept of operations for F9 flight hardware processing and quick deliveries back to Vandenberg
Drive more efficient operations to improve Falcon 9 recovery cost and hardware health for improved refurbishment timelines
Resolve blockers to operations in the field and make real-time decisions to keep team moving
Design, build, and test new ground support equipment in support of improving recovery operations
Ensure systems are in place to guarantee hardware readiness – including, but not limited to, preventative maintenance, critical spares, and hardware testing
Remain synchronized with all recovery operations on both coasts to ensure commonality in both hardware and operations where applicable
Interface between Launch Teams, Vehicle Refurbishment, Flight Hardware Logistics, Ground Support Equipment, Responsible Engineers, and Recovery to improve overall strategies with Falcon 9 reuse
Support operations as needed as a trained Vehicle Controller and manually command the rocket for critical operations
Create/modify automation for controlling the Falcon 9 booster to streamline processing
Willingness to learn and grow engineering knowledge across flight hardware processing, tooling design, automation, and more
Periodically embark on recovery voyages across the Pacific Ocean, joining elite teams to retrieve rockets and fairings in dynamic offshore environments while solving real-world engineering problems

Benefits

comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
access to a 401(k) retirement plan
short and 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
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