Joblaze summary

The Integration Engineer for the Heatshield on SpaceX's Starship plays a crucial role in the hands-on integration, testing, and refurbishment of thermal protection hardware essential for reentry. This position requires a solid foundation in mechanical or aerospace engineering, with experience in thermal systems and proficiency in CAD software like Siemens NX. Ideal candidates are those with a few years of practical experience who can manage multiple projects while collaborating closely with production teams. The role offers a unique opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment focused on advancing space exploration.

Joblaze insights

Listed 2 days ago — first seen on Joblaze November 6, 2026. Last confirmed on SpaceX's careers page November 8, 2026.
This exact title is also open at 1 other location at SpaceX: Starbase, TX.
Mechanical Engineering appears in 4.3% of 3490 comparable mid other roles in United States; materials engineering appears in 0.2% of 3490 comparable mid other roles in United States.

Quick facts

Is the Integration Engineer, Heatshield (Starship) role remote?: No — this is an on-site role in Starbase, TX.
How much experience is required?: 1–3 years of relevant experience for this Integration Engineer, Heatshield (Starship) role.
Where is the role based?: SpaceX is hiring for this position in Starbase, TX.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Siemens NX, materials engineering, thermal protection system.
What seniority level is this role?: SpaceX targets mid-level candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Integration Engineer, Heatshield (Starship) role at SpaceX.

From the original posting

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.

INTEGRATION ENGINEER, HEATSHIELD (STARSHIP)

Starship requires a robust Thermal Protection System (TPS) to withstand the extreme heat generated during atmospheric reentry at hypersonic speeds. The thermal hardware team is responsible for the design, analysis, integration, and continuous improvement of Starship's reentry heatshield and structures. As an integration engineer, you will work very closely with the production team to build, integrate, test, and refurbish heat shield hardware on Starship. You will help inform design updates required for flight reliability and production efficiency as well as development of major upgrades for future heat shield architectures. At Starbase, you will have the opportunity to work in an exciting and dynamic environment, dividing your time between the office and the production floor to ensure the delivery of the best-engineered product and ultimately mission success.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Integrate and test heat shield hardware on assembled ships
Evaluate flown ships and coordinate repair and replacement of heat shield tiles and related hardware
Drive design solutions as needed to get to a fully reusable heat shield
Work closely with production team
Work hands on with hardware
Troubleshoot build issues and improve production processes
Design tooling to improve efficiency and reliability
Write instructions for efficient and reliable production
Test and qualify new or refined thermal protection system solutions

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in material science, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or aerospace engineering
1+ years of engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building mechanical or thermal systems (internship and school projects experience qualify)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

3+ years hands on build and test experience with thermal protection, structural, or mechanical systems
Strong fundamentals in the materials and mechanisms by which thermal protection systems operate
Experience with hardware that has had to perform in challenging thermal environments such as rockets, reentry vehicles or other extreme temperature applications
Ability to manage multiple complex projects in parallel, staying organized, and communicating clearly
Familiarity and experience with production, installation, qualification, and use of thermal protection system materials
Experience using Siemens NX, or similar CAD software
Ability to perform basic thermal or mechanical analysis

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
Ability to travel domestically
Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

Standard company text repeated across SpaceX's postings is omitted here.

Integration Engineer, Heatshield (Starship)

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