New

Sr. Launch Reliability Engineer (Launch Pads & Recovery)

Cape Canaveral, FL

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.

SR. LAUNCH RELIABILITY ENGINEER (LAUNCH PADS & RECOVERY)

The Launch Reliability organization at SpaceX is an inclusive, inter-disciplinary team committed to the reliability of flight and ground systems. As a Launch Reliability Engineer with a strong mechanical and structural focus, you will work hands-on with the complex mechanisms and structures that enable rapid, reliable launch and recovery operations. You will collaborate closely with core mechanical groups at SpaceX, guiding Starship and Falcon launch pads and recovery hardware reliability initiatives from design to production, operation, and maintenance. You will use data and first-principles engineering to drive quality objectives in manufacturing, test and flight. You will promote efficient and reliable operational processes, solve difficult technical problems at both the component and system level, and ensure mission success as SpaceX advances crewed spaceflight and Mars colonization. You have the ability to thoroughly investigate details to identify, understand, and solve challenging technical problems, combined with a systems-level approach that enables you to prioritizes issues across the launch pads and recovery systems as an integrated whole. You thrive in a hands-on environment and will spend significant time on the launch pads and recovery decks working directly with mechanical and structural hardware.

  • Reliably launch astronauts and other payloads by ensuring the systems, processes, and infrastructure critical to launch operations and rocket recovery are efficiently designed, maintained, and executed
  • Partner with the mechanical teams responsible for the development, build, and refurbishment of Starship and Falcon launch pad systems to ensure optimized process health and hardware performance.
  • Identify high-risk mechanical and structural processes and problems during launch pad and recovery system build, activation, and 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
  • 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
  • Be dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
  • 5+ years of experience in a mechanical, manufacturing, or design engineering role

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Bachelor's/Master's Degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
  • Direct experience with large-scale mechanical systems, mechanisms (e.g., arms, actuators, latches), structural assemblies, or ground support equipment (ideally in aerospace, launch systems, or heavy industrial environments).
  • Experience supporting production, assembly, or refurbishment of complex mechanical or structural systems, including during production ramp-up or high-tempo operations.
  • Strong knowledge of quality and reliability tools (Lean, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, PFMEA, APQP, control plans, metrology, NDE) applied to mechanisms and/or structural hardware
  • Experience owning and leading engineering projects end-to-end 

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg 
  • Available to work extended hours, nights, and weekends when required by mission milestones
  • Position may require standing, bending and working directly with hardware on the floor for extended periods of time

 

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. 

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at SpaceX? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Portfolio or Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Attach additional content you'd like us to review with your application. Please combine multiple attachments into a single .zip file.

Select...

If event or other, please specify below.

Select...

Please convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale. Select "Not applicable/Do not recall" if you do not have or do not remember your undergraduate GPA. 

Select...

Please convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale. Select "Not applicable/Do not recall" if you do not have or do not remember your graduate GPA. 

Select...

Please convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale. Select "Not applicable/Do not recall" if you do not have or do not remember your doctorate GPA. 

Select...

Please indicate your test score on the 1600 or 2400 scale. Select "Did not take" if you have not taken the SAT.

Select...

Select "Did not take" if you have not taken the ACT.

Select...
Select...
Select...

This includes internships and full-time employment.

Select...
Select...
Select...

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in SpaceX’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 07/31/2029

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.