Electric Propulsion Engineer (Starshield)

$115,000 - $135,000/Yr

SpaceX - Hawthorne, CA

Full-time - Mid Level

Hawthorne, CA

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

About the position

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. The Electric Propulsion Engineer position within the Starshield program leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, focusing initially on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. As an Electric Propulsion Engineer, you will work with a brilliant and passionate team of engineers, contributing to the development (design, analysis, build, and test) of the most reliable and manufacturable satellite thrusters in the world. This role offers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of electric propulsion technology, ensuring that SpaceX continues to lead in this critical area of aerospace engineering.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, test, and provide operational support of the most highly produced spacecraft electric thruster in history.
• Work closely with the manufacturing team to ensure that your designs enable efficient, reliable, high-rate production.
• Design, build, modify, operate and troubleshoot the electric propulsion test facility, including vacuum chambers, cryogenic pumps, performance measurement systems, magnetic field measurement systems, plasma diagnostic systems, data acquisition and control systems, and associated wiring and instrumentation.
• Analyze and review data to ensure that hardware is operating as expected utilizing numerical data analysis tools to interpret test results.
• Spearhead root cause investigations and component redesigns to improve reliability and/or production rate.
• Develop and execute qualification test plans to ensure readiness for flight (vibration, shock, thermal cycle, life cycle).
• Balance rigor with risk tolerance to find the sweet spot in the cost/leadtime/reliability/performance space for a system that cannot accept a non-zero failure rate.
• Fully own critical spaceflight hardware - every engineer at SpaceX assumes profound responsibility for their hardware.
• Work in an integrated collaborative team environment including daily interactions with technicians, engineers, and managers.
• Maintain a positive and constructive attitude in the face of technical and non-technical challenges.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in an aerospace, physics, mechanical or other engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of total experience in one or a combination of the following: involvement with an outside the classroom project team designing, building and testing electric propulsion components; academic research focused on electric propulsion; or professional experience designing, testing, and analyzing electric propulsion systems.

Nice-to-haves

• Master's degree in an aerospace, mechanical or similar engineering discipline.
• Deep understanding of vacuum chamber operations, thermodynamics, structural design, electromagnetism, plasma physics, and materials properties.
• Proficiency in programming languages (Python, C/C++, Matlab).
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross-functional role.
• Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Self-motivated, well organized with keen attention to detail.
• Must have an ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work.
• Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, OR ability and willingness to obtain a Top Secret clearance is desired but not required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
• Short and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Various other discounts and perks.
• Accrual of 3 weeks of paid vacation.
• Eligibility for 10 or more paid holidays per year.
• 5 days of sick leave per year.
• Long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards.
• Potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.