Sr. Mechanical Engineer (Starship Avionics)
Brief overview
About the company
SpaceX is an aviation and aerospace company that designs, manufactures, and launches rockets and spacecraft.
Visa sponsorship history
4 years sponsoring, last filed FY2026
Data powered by U.S. Department of Labor. This does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.Job description
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.
SR. MECHANICAL ENGINEER (STARSHIP AVIONICS)
The Starship Avionics team is responsible for designing a Starship avionics system that is optimized for high reliability at a low mass and cost. Our charter is to develop highly producible mechanical designs and packaging solutions that protect our electronics from the harsh mechanical and thermal environments of launch vehicle operations.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design packaging solutions for electro-mechanical assemblies
- Thermal, structural, and tolerance analysis for electro-mechanical assemblies using both hand calculations and finite element analysis
- Participate in initial mechanical design, 3D modeling, creation of production drawings and maintenance of design data
- Failure analysis of components as it relates to thermal, loads, vibration and shock
- Interface with machine shops and production teams to ensure final designs can be produced in accordance with overall project goals
- Own the hardware delivery timeline and success through inception, design, assembly, test, and integration
- Lead design reviews internally and participate in reviews with suppliers and customers
- Ensure structural designs are capable of both weight and rate targets using innovative design and manufacturing approaches
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace, or other engineering discipline
- 5+ years of professional experience with mechanical or electromechanical design and analysis
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Self-motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills
- Experience with CAD and FEA software packages
- Proficient and frequent use of hand calculations, finite element analyses (FEA), and computer-aided designs (CAD)
- Exposure to high volume production designs with a focus on design for manufacturability
- Exposure to designing for high vibration environments
- Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes
- Working knowledge of thermal and structural FEA studies
- Experience with fatigue and thermal testing of electro-mechanical assemblies
- Solid understanding and application of GD&T (e.g. ANSYS, ABAQUS, NASTRAN)
- Experience working with PCB designers and exposure to PCB layout
- Experience with structural and thermal analysis of rocket components
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones
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.
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 reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.
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