Sr. Starship Engineer

Space

X was founded under the belief that a future where humanity explores 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.

Our elite Starbase team is working on our planet's toughest and most audacious project: making humanity multi-planetary. The mechanical engineer is responsible for designing and building flight hardware such as propellant tanks, integration interfaces, primary structures, and structural subassemblies. You will be empowered to make real-time decisions, solve complex problems on the fly, and own end-to-end processes. The role will require readiness to develop subject matter expertise in design for manufacturability, specifically those related to sheet metal and subassembly design and fabrication.

• Develop design concepts from a clean sheet and size vehicle structures based on flight loads
• Collaborate with peers from different vehicle systems to develop designs that balance mass, cost, and capability
• Create detailed designs to implement structural concepts and generate CAD models in NX for components, assemblies, and vehicle integration
• Build finite element models to assess designs and prove they meet the needs of the vehicle
• Apply first‑order hand calculations and empirical formulas to assess and iterate on designs rapidly
• Validate designs by building development articles to test individual joints and design elements for strength
• Perform structural testing on subassemblies and full sections of the airframe
• Partner with build engineers and technicians to improve designs
• Support the assembly of hardware in the factory, witnessing designs brought to life daily and see them take flight

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
• 5+ years of experience with mechanical design and analysis (competition team or internship experience qualifies)

• Experience designing, analyzing, building, and testing high‑performance mechanical systems
• Experience working within interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to challenging and complex problems
• Experience with FEA or multiphysics simulation packages (e.g., NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS)
• Experience designing and executing qualification testing
• Strong understanding of mechanical first principles and structural analysis methodologies
• Proficiency in selecting materials and manufacturing methods for mechanical components
• Analytical/scientific programming experience (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Excel)
• Self‑motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and authorization to work in the U.S. as required by ITAR

Space

X is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or otherwise authorized by the U.S. Department of State to work on space technology. Learn more about ITAR here.