Manufacturing Engineer (Falcon Components)

$110,000 - $130,000/Yr

Thales - Hawthorne, CA

Full-time - Entry Level

Hawthorne, CA

Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods

About the position

The Manufacturing Engineer for Falcon Components at SpaceX plays a crucial role in the Propulsion Components team, which is responsible for developing advanced launch vehicle components. This position involves serving as a hardware expert for flow control devices and mechanisms that are essential for the Falcon vehicles, including engine throttling and attitude control. The engineer will design and build valves, regulators, and actuators that must perform reliably in extreme environments, with temperatures ranging from +900F to -400F and pressures exceeding 5,000 psig. In this role, the engineer will take full ownership of their hardware, which includes troubleshooting issues at test and launch sites, conducting hands-on testing to inform development or root cause investigations, and implementing design or test upgrades to enhance reliability and reuse. The engineer will also enable high-rate valve production, as Falcon approaches 20-flight reuse and its highest-ever launch rate in support of the Starlink satellite deployment. The position requires hands-on engineers who can tackle open-ended failure investigations, rapidly implement design and build upgrades, perform flight-like testing to ensure mission success, and deliver components at an industry-leading rate without compromising quality or capability.

Responsibilities

• Own the production, assembly and testing of propulsion, environmental and thermal control system components for Falcon programs
• Create assembly and test work instructions, as well as design fixtures and tooling to enable high rate production
• Design, manufacture and maintain automated high pressure test equipment
• Question existing requirements and lead creative changes to production process and hardware
• Collaborate closely with design engineers, build and test technicians, internal machine shops and external vendors to ensure manufacturability of parts
• Resolve and analyze manufacturing and test discrepancies while interfacing with the quality team
• Support component level testing such as proof and leak, fluid flow and functional checkouts

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline or physics
• 1+ years of experience manufacturing, building, testing, or troubleshooting hardware via professional work experience and/or project/research-based student experience

Nice-to-haves

• 1+ years of research or professional experience in technical fields
• Experience with developing production processes, factory optimization, or manufacturing and machining methods
• Experience with instrumentation, data acquisition, and data review
• Hands-on experience trouble-shooting, building and testing hardware
• Understanding of fundamental principles in fluid systems and solid mechanics

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Short & long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Potential discretionary bonuses
• 3 weeks of paid vacation
• 10 or more paid holidays per year
• 5 days of sick leave per year