Materials Engineer, Polymer Development

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

MATERIALS ENGINEER, POLYMER DEVELOPMENT The Polymer Development Materials Engineer will participate in/lead the end-to-end development of advanced polymeric materials. In this role you will develop new material solutions such as adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, thermal protection materials, and emulsions for use across SpaceX’s hardware programs. You will partner closely with customers to define design criteria and performance requirements, drive formulation and process development, coordinate testing with materials laboratories, collaborate with engineering teams on implementation, and work with production teams to successfully scale materials into manufacturing.

This position requires strong technical ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to deliver high-performance materials that meet demanding programmatic needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Partner with engineers to define material requirements, translate design criteria into technical targets, and provide clear progress updates

Own technical decision-making throughout the development process, selecting and refining pathways that deliver materials meeting or exceeding design requirements

Investigate and resolve material failures or unexpected results, turning issues into actionable learnings that accelerate project progress

Act as a technical expert and project owner for polymeric material development efforts

Guide and mentor project specialists and technicians in executing formulation, testing, and process development work Collaborate closely with engineering and production teams to ensure new materials are successfully integrated into production work centers

Lead the iterative development cycle by designing efficient experiments, analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and defining the next set of actions

Drive materials development projects from initial concept through full qualification and production scale-up Coordinate with materials laboratories to plan, prioritize, and interpret characterization and performance testing

Work with production and manufacturing teams to support process scale-up, improve manufacturability, and enable reliable high-volume production

Maintain thorough technical documentation of development decisions, test results, and qualification data

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science and Engineering 2+ years of professional experience in polymeric material formulation, chemical synthesis, polymer chemistry or a non-metallic materials engineering role PREFERRED

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Master’s degree or PhD in Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science and Engineering or a related discipline Deep understanding of organic and polymer chemistries

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with clear schedules and deliverables Strong engineering judgment and self-motivation with a track record of driving projects independently Experience in R&D pertaining to non-metallic materials (adhesives, paints, coatings, seals, emulsions, etc)
Experience designing polymeric materials, manufacturing polymeric materials, and/or translating developed materials to production.

Demonstrated ability to perform root cause analysis on test data, equipment issues, or process deviations Experience mentoring lab technicians or specialists

Hands-on experience with analytical equipment such as FTIR, TGA, DSC, DMA, TMA, TPS, NMR, UV-Vis, GPC, GC, MS or…