Supplier Development Engineer, Materials & Metals (Starship)

SpaceX•Hawthorne, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

SpaceX needs a supply base that can hold quality while designs change and rates go up. This role is the technical owner for materials and metals at our suppliers — raw material, processing, and special processes that fly on the vehicle. You will take hardware from new product development through stable production across metal processing, finishing, welding, heat treatment, inspection, and related processes. You need a real materials or metallurgy foundation, judgment on the shop floor, and the willingness to pick up unfamiliar work when the mission requires it.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering, metallurgy, or metallurgical engineering
1+ years of experience with R&D, manufacturing, or processing engineering role

Nice To Haves

Experience with manufacturing, raw materials, special processes, castings, forgings, or sheet metal
Experience with assessing supplier technical capability from an equipment, operations, and personnel perspective
Knowledge of supplier quality processes (PPAP, APQP, FAIR, etc.)
Disciplined approach to problem solving (8D, Pareto, root cause, corrective action, PFMEA, etc.)
Experience with quality systems (ISO 9000//AS9100)
Knowledge of lean concepts and statistical methods (Minitab, DOE, Six Sigma)
Ability to clearly communicate with all levels of the organization
Ability to influence across functions, internally and at the supplier

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical point of contact for materials commodities and processes, including raw material, welding, heat treatment, and finishing/coating
Own development of raw-material commodities and related products: select the manufacturing method, identify and vet suppliers, and build a process that can ramp to rate
Solve emergent supplier issues that threaten the manifest — high-impact materials, processing, manufacturing, and quality problems
Lead containment on materials and process escapes: scope the risk, align on a path with engineering and supply chain, and drive it to close
Get to root cause on materials and processing issues; implement fixes at the supplier, at SpaceX, or both
Create and disposition issue tickets with engineering counterparts (rework, repair, or use-as-is)
Drive requirement and drawing changes that cut defect risk, improve manufacturability, and reduce lead time and cost
Partner with procurement to find capable suppliers and assess them for quality and takt
Review supplier manufacturing processes and quality systems; push improvements and own follow-through
Be the supply-chain owner for materials- and process-related defects on your commodities