Automation & Controls Specialist (Starship)

About the role

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (collectively referred to as Starship) represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Starship will be the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tons to Earth orbit.

The Launch Hardware Automation & Controls Specialist role will be hands-on in designing and activating the systems that build and launch Starship. The successful applicant will work as part of a team of elite engineers designing and improving the electrical and control systems across our rocket launch facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base.

Responsibilities

• Provide innovative solutions to special requirements and challenges faced by the team, which can range from integrating specialized equipment to challenging operating environment, packaging or loading.
• Execute the integration and activation testing of new equipment.
• Manage electrical cabinet builds, field wiring, pneumatic, and fluid plumbing.
• Experience with authoring detailed manufacturing planning work orders.
• Provide hands-on troubleshooting support for a variety of active and critical ground support equipment tooling.
• Write robust and scalable procedures to activate technicians to quickly and reliably build and commission control systems.
• Lay out new industrial electrical control panels that are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant and create electrical, pneumatic, and fluid schematics.
• Participate in the design and development of new and existing control systems critical to the launch organization.
• Architect, write, and debug PLC code, emphasizing generating organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable code for manufacturing applications.

Basic Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
• 3+ years of experience in a controls technician, controls specialist, or engineering role.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or technology field.
• Occupational trade school qualification in an instrumentation or electrical-based field
• Knowledge of NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code), NFPA 70E (Standard for Electrical Safety), NFPA 79 & UL508A codes.
• Excellent communication skills-both written and verbal.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity, independently drive project progress, and manage multiple priorities.
• Proven ability to author detailed manufacturing planning work orders in strict compliance with guidelines and procedures.
• Fundamental understanding of engineering principles behind electronic equipment, instrumentation, and commonly used industrial equipment.
• Experience designing and installing instrumentation and control systems in hazardous areas (NFPA 70 Section 500 installations); Class 1, Division 1 and Division 2 environments or IEC equivalence.
• Electrical schematic CAD experience using EPlan.
• PLC programming experience, preferably Siemens TIA Portal.
• First-hand experience with programming and software development.
• Experience with industrial bus protocols such as Modbus, Profinet and EtherNet/IP.
• Exposure to C/C++, Python, and JavaScript.
• Process integration and electromechanical/mechatronic systems experience.
• Able to collaborate with a wide range of people and effectively work in a team in a high-pressure, dynamic environment.

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to work weekends and night shifts as needed.
• Must be willing to travel to other launch sites in support of operational activities and launches; travel requirement is up to 15%.
• Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral.
• Lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this position.

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. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.