Tooling Engineer, Plastic Injection Molding (Starlink)

SpaceX•Bastrop, TX

About The Position

SpaceX is developing Starlink, a low-latency broadband internet system enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites. Working directly in the materials engineering group, the Tooling Engineer is responsible for developing, qualifying, and implementing tooling and manufacturing process technologies that deliver scalable solutions at the right cost and on schedule. The role drives alignment among product design, materials, and process selection, and integrates selected processes into the overall manufacturing flow. The position focuses on plastic injection tooling for consumer electronics products, including development with domestic and Asian suppliers, tooling and resin selection and qualification, high-volume manufacturing, secondary processes, and design of experiments. The engineer evaluates traditional and emerging technologies and may manage multiple programs in parallel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or another engineering discipline.
At least 1 year of direct hands-on injection mold design and/or injection mold construction experience; internship experience qualifies.
Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors for extended periods, approximately 50% of the time, including internationally.
Ability to lift up to 40 pounds unassisted.
Ability to stand and/or walk for long periods.
Willingness to work long hours and weekends as necessary to accommodate manufacturing and test campaigns.
Must meet applicable U.S. government export-control eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

At least 3 years of direct hands-on injection mold design and/or injection mold construction experience.
Detailed understanding of plastics molding process variables and their effects on throughput, quality, and yield rate.
Strong to expert-level 3D CAD skills, including advanced surfacing and large assemblies.
Siemens NX fluency, or the ability to learn and adopt it quickly; NX 2306 is the design package used.
Knowledge and experience in scientific molding/RJG molding.
Strong experience setting up and performing detailed mold simulations using Autodesk Moldflow.
Knowledge and experience with Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) molding.
Proven track record in consumer electronics product and tooling development with domestic and Asian suppliers, tooling material selection, resin selection and qualification, high-volume manufacturing, secondary processes, design of experiments, and managing multiple programs in parallel with strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

Develop new plastic injection tooling projects to meet product performance and cosmetic requirements.
Refine designs for manufacturing in collaboration with supply management, product design, industrial design, and manufacturing engineering, including material selection, design feasibility, and aesthetics.
Research new materials, manufacturing technologies, and finish options.
Inform estimates of prototype and production manufacturing costs, including tooling, secondary assembly, secondary finishing, and piece-part costs.
Participate in supplier audits and final supplier selection.
Write prototype and development tooling requests for quotes (RFQs).
Publish and maintain a live master tooling schedule.
Review supplier design-for-manufacturing work, including gating strategy, Moldflow, and Mold Warp analysis.
Review and approve prototype and development tool designs and tooling maintenance procedures.
Track suppliers’ weekly build progress and participate in T1 samples.
Direct tooling modifications and approve TF parts, first article inspection (FAI) reports, and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) reports.