Mechanical Engineer, Mechanisms (Crew Starship)

About the role

After 50 years, humankind will once again return to the surface of the moon using SpaceX's new vehicle, Crew Starship (also known as HLS or the Human Landing System) - this time for good. Starship will usher in the next era of crewed spaceflight and exploration, ultimately allowing us to establish permanent communities on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

As a Mechanical Engineer on the Crew Starship team, you will design and build spacecraft systems that are critical to the success and safety of future astronauts. Disciplines within this team include primary and secondary structures, mechanisms, and crew-interfacing hardware. Your design solutions will be driven by all future Crew Starship missions (Lunar, Mars, etc.).

This role requires full hardware ownership, from initial design requirements and concepts all the way through design, analysis, prototype, qualification, and integration.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, analysis, and manufacturing of next generation structures and mechanisms for Starship vehicles needed for long duration and landing missions (examples include the solar deploy system, landing legs, and lunar elevator)
• Perform hand calculations and FEA to develop, assess, and optimize designs
• Rapidly iterate on manufacturing processes and development testing in a fast-paced environment
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure hardware integrates with Starship systems and supports necessary mission operations
• Lead design reviews internally and externally with suppliers and customers (e.g., NASA)
• Negotiate complex trade studies to optimize for cost, schedule, safety, and performance, among other considerations
• Be responsible for project delivery timeline from early design through production, launch, and recovery

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
• 1+ years of experience with mechanical design and analysis (internship and extracurricular experience qualifies)

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of professional experience in mechanical design and analysis
• Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes of complex mechanical systems
• Strong ability to use data and analysis to make fast data-driven decisions
• Experience with structures and mechanisms in aerospace or aviation industries
• Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations even with partial information
• Experienced in Siemens NX, Ansys, and/or Abaqus
• Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) and ability to succinctly present recommendations to other engineers, stakeholders, management, and executive staff
• Experience at a nimble engineering organization or in a highly technical position that required a scrappy, entrepreneurial manner to accomplish tasks with tight time or budget constraints
• Leadership experience on an engineering or project team

Additional Requirements

• Willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical milestones
• Occasional travel to other SpaceX work sites

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.