Propulsion Test Engineer (Raptor Components)

About the role

The Raptor Components team is responsible for the mechanical and electro-mechanical control assemblies that run the Raptor engine: valves, regulators, actuators, firespin and ignition hardware, sensors, and the fluid and electrical packages around them. These assemblies must be simple, manufacturable, and reliable in extreme thermal, pressure, and vibration environments.

You will be hands-on. You will pressure-test high-pressure hardware, instrument it, and design the tooling, fixtures, and ground support equipment the tests need. You will write the plans, set the pass/fail criteria, run or direct the campaigns, and document the data, providing a clear go or no-go. The work covers development, qualification, and failure investigations, primarily at the factory, but also at test and launch sites. You will work with component and avionics responsible engineers, suppliers, manufacturing, and the components test organization.

Responsibilities

• Own component test plans, procedures, campaigns, and pass/fail criteria from development through qualification. Question requirements, recommend improvements to test to maximize learning rate, and simplify and automate what remains.
• Hands-on execution of pressure, proof, leak, functional, thermal, and vibration testing on Raptor control components and avionics, including high-pressure fluids and gases and cryogenic conditions. Operate energetic and hazardous setups safely and hold every test to safety protocol.
• Propose which tests to run, and with which priority. Request the assets and tools needed early. Plan ahead, survey needs, pull test requests. Coordinate peers through informal leadership. Assign clear test responsibilities and hold the work to a date.
• Design, build, and improve test tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, and automated test systems so tests are fast, repeatable, and safe. Use CAD, schematics, analysis, and fabrication where the setup needs them. Feed test results and capability limits back to the responsible engineer in clear, archival documentation.
• Write procedures and train technicians and engineers so checkouts run with little overhead.
• Be the instrumentation and measurement expert on the component team. Select sensors, read fluid and electrical schematics and engineering drawings, and judge data quality before a result is reported.
• Set the standard for rigorous component qualification and acceptance testing and increase scrutiny as the vehicle program matures toward commercial and crewed orbital missions.
• Lead root-cause investigations that arise in development, production, test, integration, and launch. Drive corrective actions on the procedure and with the responsible engineer and look for the next issue before it repeats. When a failure repeats, push it to the owning design, build, or supplier team with the data they need to close it.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline or physics.
• 1+ years of hands-on experience with mechanical, fluid, or electrical systems through professional work, internships, project or research teams, or a combination of these.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Hands-on pressure testing, proof testing, or leak testing of fluid or gas hardware.
• Experience designing, documenting, building, and operating test tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, or other test equipment.
• Experience writing test plans and procedures, setting pass/fail criteria, and making go/no-go calls.
• Experience with high-pressure fluids, cryogenics, valves, regulators, actuators, or other propulsion components.
• Experience with test instrumentation and control, and with reading and interpreting fluid schematics, electrical schematics, and engineering drawings.
• Experience developing test software or automation in Python or a similar language.
• Experience supporting anomaly and failure investigations on hardware.
• Understanding of fluid systems, solid mechanics, and/or electrical systems, including electro-mechanical devices such as valves, regulators, actuators, and sensors.
• Strong written and verbal communication with design, build, test, and supplier teams.
• Master's degree or additional professional experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering.

Additional Requirements

• 10% travel in support of hardware testing and launch operations.
• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
• Able to stoop, bend, crawl, and maneuver in tight spaces as needed to set up and run tests.

Pay Range

Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00

Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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.