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.

PROPULSION DESIGN ENGINEER (COMPONENTS)

Rockets are tubes, tanks and valves – Propulsion Components works the moving parts. This team owns nearly all of the valves, actuators, and other fluid control devices on the vehicle; our components handle fluids from +700 F down to -400 F, high pressures, and extreme flight environments, while maximizing reliability and minimizing weight. Component design is highly multidisciplinary – our engineers are expected to fully own their projects from concept to flight and be technically strong in mechanism design, fluids/gas dynamics, materials, and other more specialized fields depending on the project.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for design and analysis of new fluid components, development of advanced manufacturing processes and design and construction of automated component test equipment for the Falcon 9, Dragon and BFR (Mars) vehicles
• Generate detailed drawings and coordinate valve manufacturing with the production group
• Develop and execute component flight qualification test plans (e.g. vibration, shock, thermal cycle, life cycle, burst, etc.)
• Develop production flight acceptance tests for propulsion components
• Generate and maintain component specifications
• Document and troubleshoot component anomalies

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering
• 1 year of experience designing and analyzing mechanical systems via professional work experience, project/research based student experience or a combination of both

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master of Science degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering
• Working knowledge of valves, regulators, burst disks, temperature sensors, and other fluid components
• Strong fundamental understanding of launch vehicle and/or spacecraft fluid systems
• Hands-on experience with fluid and/or gas handling systems
• Experience using test instrumentation and control components: pressure transducers, thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors, relays, solenoid valves, etc.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.