Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, mechanical, industrial, or related engineering discipline
2+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, tooling design, automation cell build, or production of mechanical/electrical hardware systems
Experience leading manufacturing projects and implementing design for manufacture and assembly on electromechanical systems
Experience commissioning automated cells or production equipment
Knowledge of SPC (Statistical Process Control) and statistical methods for process capability tracking
Competency with SQL databases and AI tools for data-driven engineering decisions
Hands-on engineering experience with a focus on continuous improvement
Responsibilities
Act as the primary liaison between automation, supply chain, production, and development operations
Develop and implement manufacturing processes and workflows to enhance throughput and safety
Manage the build and installation of modular automation assets from raw material to production
Collaborate with engineering teams to address manufacturing issues and tooling constraints
Prepare engineering documentation for hardware transition from development to production
Work with suppliers to fabricate parts and subassemblies to meet production rates
Contribute to design reviews as the manufacturing expert on manufacturability and quality control
Benefits
Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology in the aerospace industry
Collaborative environment with cross-functional teams
Focus on continuous improvement and innovation
Potential for career growth within a fast-paced organization
Hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing processes and automation
Full Job Description
As a Manufacturing Engineer on the Development Operations team, you will own how Starlink hardware gets built. You will lead the factory projects that put new tooling and automation on the floor, write the standard of work, and design fabrication and integration processes that raise throughput, quality, and safety inside our shop, for internal customers, and with local tooling and fabrication vendors.
You will work closely with Starlink product engineering, automation, supply chain, and shop leadership. You are the manufacturing voice across those teams, and you will drive the changes to process, tooling, planning, and shop organization that make fabrication and integration flow. You will take extreme ownership of deliverables, schedule adherence, and alignment with overall program milestones.
MANUFACTURING ENGINEER (STARLINK DEVELOPMENT)
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Act as the primary liaison between automation, supply chain, production, and development operations so factory tooling and automation are built and deployed to meet program milestones
Develop and implement manufacturing processes and shop workflows that increase throughput, efficiency, and personnel safety
Manage the build, configuration, and installation of all modular automation assets in the team's catalog, from raw-material purchase through cell build, integration and handoff to automation and production
Work with peer engineering and support teams to drive design updates in response to manufacturing issues, tooling constraints, part obsolescence, and requirement changes
Prepare the engineering documentation required to move hardware from development to production, including assembly and integration work instructions and manufacturing bills of materials
Work with internal and external suppliers to fabricate piece parts and subassemblies at rate, or to supplement internal capacity
Contribute to design reviews as the manufacturing expert on design for manufacturability, design for reliability, design for maintenance, shop capability, and quality control
Spearhead manufacturing strategy, including cycle time and make-versus-buy to meet or exceed departmental objectives without compromising quality
Design, develop, validate, and implement production tooling so the process is repeatable and efficient
Serve as the primary point of contact for nonconforming product on cells, panels, and tooling, and lead troubleshooting, root-cause investigation, and corrective action
Develop training requirements for technicians and specialists to increase the team's capability, productivity and safety
Spearhead machine tool purchases to increase development shop capability including machine selection, proposal creation, ROI calculation and align with shop supervisors to meet program need
Work creatively and innovate to support SpaceX's goals by always being prepared to challenge requirements, remove blockers and accelerate program schedule
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, mechanical, industrial, or a related engineering discipline
2+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, tooling design, automation cell build, and/or production of mechanical or electrical hardware systems (internship and collegiate extracurricular engineering project experience qualifies)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
2+ years of experience leading manufacturing projects and implementing design for manufacture and design for assembly on electromechanical systems
Experience commissioning automated cells or other production equipment and completing buyoff with production or project stakeholders
Experience in the tooling or factory automation industry, such as a tooling supplier, automation integrator, equipment OEM, or an in-house tooling and automation teams
Experience transitioning products from design to manufacturing (new product introduction) as part of a cross-functional team in a fast-paced, iterative design environment
SPC (Statistical Process Control) knowledge and experience applying statistical methods to track process capability
Competency with SQL databases and usage of AI tolls to compile data and make engineering decisions
Design and release of production tooling, including fixtures, workholding, gauges, and poke-yoke features
Hands-on engineer with a passion for continuous improvement
Capable of solving complex problems with little to no supervision on schedule as an individual or as a member of an integrated team
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be willing to work extended hours and/or overtime as needed
Some travel to outside vendors may be required (up to 10%)
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
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. a7 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. a7 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
About SpaceX
SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk. The company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. SpaceX has developed the Falcon 1, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Dragon spacecraft. The company was founded with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX has achieved several milestones in spaceflight, including the first privately-funded liquid-propellant rocket to reach orbit, the first privately-funded company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station, and the first privately-funded company to send a human-rated spacecraft to orbit.
