Skills & Technologies
Requirements
- Experience
- 1–3 years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Visa
- Sponsorship available
Joblaze summary
In the role of Mechanical Engineer for Thermal Hardware at SpaceX, the individual will focus on developing and refining the Thermal Protection System for the Starship, ensuring it can withstand extreme heat during reentry. Key skills include a solid foundation in thermal systems, mechanical design, and hands-on experience with hardware in high-temperature environments, ideally with a background in aerospace or materials engineering. This position is suited for engineers with at least one year of relevant experience, particularly those who thrive in fast-paced, innovative settings. The role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking space exploration efforts.
Joblaze insights
- Listed about a month ago on Joblaze — tracked directly from SpaceX's career page.
- SpaceX has 1668 other open roles including Maintenance Supervisor (Starlink), Maintenance Supervisor (Starlink) - Night Shift, IT Network Infrastructure Engineer.
- 88 active Mechanical Engineering roles on Joblaze right now.
- 42 active Siemens NX roles on Joblaze right now.
- 41 active Aerospace Engineering roles on Joblaze right now.
Quick facts
- Is the Mechanical Engineer, Thermal Hardware (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 Mechanical Engineer, Thermal Hardware (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: Mechanical Engineering, thermal protection systems, materials engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Siemens NX.
- Does SpaceX sponsor work visas for this role?
- Yes — the posting indicates visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.
- What seniority level is this role?
- SpaceX targets mid-level candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Mechanical Engineer, Thermal Hardware (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.
MECHANICAL ENGINEER, THERMAL HARDWARE (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 heat shield and structures. As a mechanical engineer, you will drive the development of the next-generation heat shield from concept and detailed mechanical design to thermal-structural modeling, qualification testing, production, integration, flight rationale, and post-flight data-driven optimizations. 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:
- Develop, test, and qualify new or refined thermal protection system solutions for our Starship architecture
- Own the outcome and set up the end-to-end solutions to thermal challenges from idea to flying hardware
- Work with production on resolving issues on the floor and on the vehicle with our flight hardware
- Analyze and troubleshoot post-flight conditions on vehicle heatshields to drive vehicle changes and improvements
- Coordinate with analysis, avionics, structures, supply chain, and reliability engineers to drive multidisciplinary projects
- Work with outside vendors, suppliers, and testing resources to bring in new materials, capabilities, or processes
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 of experience working on thermal protection systems
- Strong fundamentals in aerothermal heating on reentry vehicles
- Strong fundamentals in the materials and mechanisms by which thermal protection systems operate
- Hands-on experience with hardware that has had to perform in challenging thermal environments such as rockets, reentry vehicles or other extreme temperature applications
- Ability to drive open-ended design and development challenges
- 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:
- 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.