Propulsion Engineer, Chamber and Nozzle Manufacturing; Raptor

Propulsion Engineer, Chamber and Nozzle Manufacturing (Raptor)

Hawthorne, CA

Space

X was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today Space

X is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

Space

X is seeking an engineer to focus on manufacturing the world’s most powerful combustion chamber and nozzle. These components feature some of the most complex geometries in rocket propulsion — including intricate regenerative cooling channels, thin‑walled high‑temperature alloys, and tight‑tolerance surfaces that must survive extreme thermal and pressure cycles across hundreds of reuse cycles.

You will design, implement, and scale manufacturing processes that increase production throughput, improve dimensional accuracy and repeatability, and reduce cycle times while maintaining the extreme quality required for Starship. This role combines propulsion engineering knowledge with manufacturing process development and data‑driven production. Your work will directly enable rapid iteration and high‑volume production of Raptor chambers and nozzles.

• Own the fabrication, processes, and assembly of Raptor thrust chamber and nozzle extension hardware, including development and optimization of manufacturing methods for fabrication, joining, finishing, and verification.
• Create and refine manufacturing strategies, work instructions, custom fixtures, tooling, and work holding solutions for complex components.
• Build and maintain data pipelines that capture manufacturing telemetry to enable statistical process control, predictive analytics, and machine learning models for defect reduction and process optimization.
• Partner closely with propulsion design, materials, production, and supply chain teams to convert new designs into robust, scalable processes, resolve nonconformances, and drive design changes that improve manufacturability, reliability, and performance.
• Maintain holistic ownership of the production line, including process consistency, quality, capital equipment, ergonomics, safety, facility layouts, and the introduction of new products and revisions.
• Challenge existing processes daily while collaborating with multi‑disciplinary engineers and technicians to support high‑rate production, on‑time delivery, test, and launch operations.
• Own manufacturing software, documentation, simulation, version control, and process standardization; interface with internal and external fabrication, automation, and materials teams to meet production goals.

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of hands‑on experience with manufacturing process development for complex metallic components.

• Ability to work well in an integrated and collaborative team environment including daily interactions with technicians, engineers, and managers.
• Experience with manufacturing techniques, processes, and equipment such as machining, brazing, welding, forming, tube bending, structural assembly, etc.
• Understanding of test methods/setups and data acquisition systems.
• Experience generating, reading, and interpreting engineering drawings.
• Expertise in design for manufacturability (DFM) with demonstrable success at taking products through development, testing, and production.
• Highly self‑motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills – able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high‑pressure environment with the ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work.

• Must be able to stand for long durations (8 hours minimum) and work directly with hardware on the floor.
• Must be comfortable stooping, bending, and standing.
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
• 10% travel in support of launch and test of hardware.
• Flexibility in working hours to production and launch cadence.

Pay range:

• Propulsion Engineer/Level I: $ - $ per year
• Propulsion Engineer/Level II: $ - $ per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined…