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Launch Reliability Engineer

Join SpaceX as a Launch Reliability Engineer to ensure mission success for manned spaceflight and Mars colonization.

Location
Vandenberg, CA
Compensation
$100k–$130k/yr
Level
mid
Type
full time · On-site

Posted by employer 1 month ago

First seen on Joblaze 1 month ago

Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago

What you'll build

  • Ensure vehicle, payload, and spacecraft processing is efficiently designed and executed
  • Interact with various disciplines for optimized process health
  • Identify high-risk processes and implement improvements
  • Lead root cause and corrective action investigations
  • Participate in design reviews to ensure quality

Must have

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or physics
  • 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a quality, manufacturing, or design engineering role

Nice to have

  • Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, etc.
  • Experience supporting production of complex systems
  • Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles and Six Sigma
  • Dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality

Practical constraints

  • Ability to pass Air Force background check for Vandenberg Space Force Base
  • Available to work extended hours, nights, and weekends when required
  • Ability to work 1st shift: Nominal work hours 7:00am - 5:00pm

Requirements

Experience
1+ years
Education
Bachelor's degree

Not disclosed in this posting: visa sponsorship.

Benefits

401k Match Paid Vacation Paid Sick Leave Equity/Stock Options Paid Holidays Health Insurance Parental Leave

Joblaze summary

The Launch Reliability Engineer at SpaceX focuses on ensuring mission assurance at the launch site by optimizing operational processes for vehicle and payload readiness. This role requires a background in engineering, with skills in quality assurance methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma, as well as experience in complex systems production. It is suited for early-career professionals who are detail-oriented and capable of identifying and mitigating risks in high-stakes environments. The position plays a critical role in supporting SpaceX's ambitious goals for manned spaceflight and Mars colonization.

Joblaze insights

  • Listed about a month ago — first seen on Joblaze September 10, 2026. Last confirmed on SpaceX's careers page November 2, 2026.
  • Salary band is below the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$130,000).
  • Starts above 26% of 1352 comparable mid other roles in United States we track (median $105,000 across 181 companies).

Quick facts

Is the Launch Reliability Engineer role remote?
No — this is an on-site role in Vandenberg, CA.
What's the salary range?
SpaceX lists $100,000–$130,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?
At least 1 year of relevant experience for this Launch Reliability Engineer role.
Where is the role based?
SpaceX is hiring for this position in Vandenberg, CA.
What seniority level is this role?
SpaceX targets mid-level candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?
Full-time for this Launch Reliability Engineer 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.

LAUNCH RELIABILITY ENGINEER

The Launch Reliability Engineer is the advocate for mission assurance at the launch site by promoting efficient and reliable operational processes. You will partner with Flight Reliability, Launch Reliability, and Launch Operations teams at SpaceX to ensure mission success as SpaceX marches towards manned spaceflight and Mars colonization. You will also have the opportunity to work on diverse projects including our Falcon 9, Dragon and Starship programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Reliably launch astronauts and other payloads by ensuring vehicle, payload, and spacecraft processing is efficiently designed and executed
  • Interact with the various disciplines responsible for the development and build of Falcon 9, Dragon, Starship, etc., and launch pad systems to ensure optimized process health
  • Identify high-risk processes and problems during vehicle processing or refurbishment, and proactively implement improvements to these processes to ensure operational excellence
  • Find smart solutions to the biggest problems by leading root cause and corrective action investigations
  • Determine high-risk processes and problems during vehicle processing or refurbishment, and proactively implement improvements to these processes to ensure operational excellence
  • Maintain a feedback loop to drive hardware inputs that enable a reliable and rapid launch cadence; using data to make the quality landscape transparent and drive prioritization of resolving high-impact issues
  • Participate in preliminary design review (PDR)/critical design review (CDR) and work with design reliability to ensure design for quality (DFQ), design for manufacturability (DFM), risk quantification/mitigation, and that appropriate test validation methods and inspection techniques, including nondestructive evaluation methods have been considered

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or physics
  • 1+ years of professional or internship experience in a quality, manufacturing, or design engineering role

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline (e.g. aerospace, mechanical, etc.)
  • Experience supporting production of complex electro-mechanical, mechanical or composites systems in high volume work centers and/or during production ramp-up
  • Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, Six Sigma, root cause analysis and corrective action, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem solving approaches
  • Dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability to pass Air Force background check for Vandenberg Space Force Base
  • Available to work extended hours, nights, and weekends when required by mission milestones
  • Ability to work 1st shift: Nominal work hours 7:00am - 5:00pm
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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:

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

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