SpaceX
Aerospace & DefenseDirect Greenhouse career site

Operations Engineer (Starship)

Pay
$100,000 – $140,000 per year
Location
Hawthorne, CA · On-site
Job type
Full-time
Level
Mid-level
Experience
1+ year
Education
Bachelor's degree
Listed
30 days ago

Skills & highlights for this role

  • ITAR eligibility
  • process engineering
  • capacity modeling
  • MRP/ERP systems
  • Excel
  • SQL
  • Python

Also useful

  • lean manufacturing
  • Six Sigma
  • statistics

About the role

The Operations Engineering team supports the Starship program in Hawthorne through strategic planning, optimization of production processes, and allocation of resources. We are seeking engineers to lead cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams that will create the factory of the future that optimizes operations in a fast-paced environment.

The ideal candidate should be an emerging leader who can apply principles of operations engineering, engineering, and data science to complex multi-resource optimization. We are searching for qualified engineers who can continuously improve part flow, interested in being on a manufacturing floor, and use data to drive decisions.

Responsibilities

  • Design and own factory and production area layouts following the rules of clear visual indicators and linear flow principles
  • Conduct job walks with vendors, negotiate prices, and hold vendors to schedule
  • Host process walks of production lines, and ask questions to delete or simplify process steps and kick off changes
  • Work as part of a team to develop and manage production strategy to mitigate future production risks and seize emerging opportunities to improve quality, output, safety, and cost
  • Develop tools to analyze delivery, capacity, and cost problems for production to guide decisions
  • Identify operational challenges within the organization, determine root cause, and develop appropriate solutions
  • Develop and track key performance measures, and identify decision points and actions to optimize production to meet demand
  • Actively develop system and process improvements within and between production elements

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a manufacturing environment

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Process engineering experience including project management, capacity modeling, processing mapping, and layouts
  • Experience with inventory, production, and capacity planning (including MRP/ERP systems)
  • Experience using Excel, SQL, or Python/R for analysis on modeling dynamic systems
  • Proficiency with statistics, data analysis, cost/benefit analysis, and visualization
  • Experience as an industrial, operations, process or manufacturing engineer in a developmental manufacturing environment
  • Experience with lean, six sigma, and related production principles
  • Experience as a contributor to multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams

Additional Requirements

  • Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed to meet major milestones
  • This is a hands-on position that will require standing for long durations of the day and directly interacting with other team members and hardware on the floor
  • Must be able to travel - up to 10% work week travel may be required to other sites
  • Must be able to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
  • This position is based in Hawthorne, CA and requires being onsite - remote work not considered

Pay Range

Level 1: $100,000.00 - $117,500.00

Level 2: $115,000.00 - $140,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year.

Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

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.

About SpaceX

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.

Read the original posting

From SpaceX's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 10, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.

How Rolev.ai helps with this application

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Common questions

What is the salary for the Operations Engineer (Starship) role at SpaceX?

The Operations Engineer (Starship) posting at SpaceX states compensation of $100,000 – $140,000 per year. It is listed as a full-time position. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on SpaceX's official career site.

Where is the Operations Engineer (Starship) job at SpaceX located?

This Operations Engineer (Starship) position at SpaceX is located in Hawthorne, CA (On-site). Always check SpaceX's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.

What qualifications are required for Operations Engineer (Starship) at SpaceX?

For the Operations Engineer (Starship) role, SpaceX highlights 1+ year of relevant experience; a bachelor's degree; experience with process engineering, capacity modeling, MRP/ERP systems, Excel, SQL, Python. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.

How do I apply for the Operations Engineer (Starship) position at SpaceX?

This listing links directly to SpaceX's Greenhouse application page. You can apply directly on SpaceX's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Greenhouse application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.