Sr. Operations Engineer, Starship Production

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.

OPERATIONS ENGINEER, STARSHIP PRODUCTION 

At the forefront of SpaceX’s mission to make humanity an interplanetary species, Starship is the vehicle that will deliver humans to Mars and beyond. This operations engineering role will support production programs through strategic planning, optimization of production processes, and alignment of resources to tasks.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop factory design plans including production line layouts, building requirements, facility resources, and part flow to meet production rate


• Ownership of accurate floor layouts, capacity studies, and product flow analyses to ensure on-time product delivery


• Work as part of a team to develop and manage production strategies to mitigate future production risks and seize emerging opportunities to improve quality, output, safety, and cost


• Define new business processes and systems for high volume production, including manufacturing execution, inventory management, nonconformance resolution, configuration management, material traceability, process control, and maintenance


• Act as subject matter expert in multiple Starship production processes and systems, enabling complex data gathering, troubleshooting, and problem solving


• Coordinate and schedule work with internal SpaceX teams and external general/sub-contractors


• Implement data acquisition and tracking for production and quality metrics, as well as environmental, testing, and safety controls


• Assist production/engineering leadership team to identify trends, opportunities, and best practices for optimizing product output, quality enhancements, and cost of manufacturability by spending time on the production floor


• Consistently contribute effort, leadership, and creative thinking to solving complex problems in a collaborative fashion and under tight deadlines


• Collaborate across disciplines including Production, Engineering, Test, Inventory, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure efficiency and consistency across the organization

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial, mechanical, software, or other engineering discipline


• 5+ years of experience in production engineering, manufacturing or industrial project management  

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• High volume production experience (automotive or similar)


• Competency with CAD programs (AutoCAD, Revit, Siemens NX, or similar)


• Experience with SQL databases


• Experience with and understanding of Lean principles, Six Sigma concepts and applications, creative problem solving and project management methodologies


• Experience with Autodesk Construction Cloud or Procure file management systems


• Experience with Bluebeam Revu


• Experience with discrete event modeling software, statistical analysis, or operations research fields


• Experience developing custom software, ERP/MES systems, and dashboards


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills


• Experience analyzing large datasets and communicating conclusions


• Experience supporting production start-up and production ramp periods


• Able to contribute to and work well with multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams


• Ability to identify customer needs, gather requirements, and execute independently


• Ability to work effectively in a fast paced, high-stress, dynamic environment that includes working with changing needs and requirements


• Demonstrated ability to communicate with and influence stakeholders in higher-level leadership  

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to work extended hours, some nights and/or weekends when needed to meet major milestones


• Must be able to travel - up to 5-10% travel may be required to other SpaceX facilities


• This position is based in Starbase, TX and requires being onsite - remote work not considered

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 [email protected].