Materials Engineer, Metals (Starship)

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 elite Starbase team is working on the toughest and most audacious project on our planet—making humanity multiplanetary. This role focuses on developing new materials, new processes, and quickly solving problems to advance our mission.

Responsibilities

• Own outcomes of critical materials to our program.
• Oversee the entire scope of a material from inception to flight.
• Develop physical, mechanical, and thermal properties for materials.
• Perform root cause investigations using fractography, metallography, and testing.
• Develop and implement reliability improvements in designs and manufacturing.
• Work directly with engineers developing the flight hardware to ensure proper utilization of materials.
• Collaborate with other engineers, subject matter experts, and technicians to solve complex material and processing challenges on current and next‑generation vehicles.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in materials science or engineering.
• 2+ years of professional, research, and/or internship experience working on metallics in a materials engineering role.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in materials science or engineering.
• 2+ years of professional work experience in a materials‑engineering‑related role.
• Demonstrated experience where quick thinking and tangible problem‑solving skills play a critical role.
• Experience fostering an environment of extremely high personal accountability and responsibility.
• Understanding of mechanical testing methods for metals.
• Familiarity with standard testing methods for materials and development of design allowables.
• Experience with failure analysis and fractography, including characterization techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and metallographic analysis.
• Knowledge of aerospace metals including nickel‑based alloys, stainless steels, aluminum alloys, and titanium alloys.
• Hands‑on experience in a manufacturing environment.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.
• Infrequent travel to other SpaceX sites such as California or Florida.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, the applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (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.