Process Engineer, Machinery & Automation

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.

About the role

The Dispensary (in-house glue factory) produces silicone adhesives, paints, ablatives, and thermal protection materials that support Starship and programs across the company. As a Machinery & Automation Engineer for Starship Materials Production, you will own equipment and tooling from design and procurement through vendor buyoff, factory installation, automation, and production ramp. Scope covers powder systems, industrial mixers, liquid dispensing, and the custom tooling that makes those cells run at rate with minimal operator-dependent variation.

Responsibilities

• Design, specify, procure, install, and commission powder handling/dispensing systems, industrial mixers, and liquid dispensing equipment for paints, adhesives, ablatives, sealants, fillers, and other formulated materials
• Own powder equipment including hoppers, feeders (screw, vibratory, loss-in-weight), weigh/batch systems, dust collection, pneumatic conveying, and powder-to-liquid incorporation
• Own mixers and blending equipment (high-shear, planetary, dual-asymmetric, ribbon, paddle, vacuum, reactors) including agitation, vacuum/degassing, temperature control, seals, cleanability, and integration with upstream feed and downstream dispense/packaging
• Own liquid dispensing systems including pumps, meters, valves, manifolds, tanks, pressure/vacuum and temperature control, and single- or multi-component meter-mix-dispense platforms
• Automate production cells with sensors, motion, recipe/batch control, interlocks, data logging, and PLC/HMI/SCADA integration to maximize unattended or semi-attended operation
• Design custom tooling and fixtures that enable automation (dispense/hold tooling, changeover tooling, transfer tooling, alignment jigs, poke-yoke, robot/gantry interfaces); take tooling from CAD through fabrication, tryout, and production release
• Lead capital equipment projects cradle-to-grave: vendor selection, design reviews, SOWs, procurement, factory acceptance testing (FAT) at vendor sites, site acceptance testing (SAT), installation, and ramp
• Travel to vendors to execute FATs, validate rate/accuracy/repeatability/cleanability/safety, and drive design corrections before shipment
• Productionize equipment and processes for new product introductions (NPIs), including work instructions, control plans, and rate capability demonstration
• Partner with materials, quality, production, and design to ensure formulations are mixable and dispensable at scale and meet flight quality requirements
• Drive root cause analysis, design of experiments (DOE), and statistical process control (SPC) on mix and dispense performance; continuous improvement for throughput, changeover, cleanability, dust control, and cost
• Develop and maintain process specifications, SOPs, and equipment documentation; train technicians and hand off reliable cells to production
• Support hazardous materials handling, containment, and EHS requirements for solvent-based, reactive, and powder chemistries

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, or related technical discipline
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with powder handling/dispensing, industrial mixers, liquid dispensing, fluid delivery, or chemical/materials production equipment
• Must be able to wear and obtain certification in the wearing of an air respirator
• Must be comfortable working with solvents, hazardous materials, inorganic acids and bases, reactive chemistries, and powder materials (including dust-generating operations)
• Onsite role on the production floor; remote work not considered
• Extended hours and weekends as needed to support installs, FATs, production ramps, and downtime recovery
• Travel for vendor FATs, equipment buyoffs, and related work as needed
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted; standing, climbing, bending, and working in production environments required
• Ability to pass required site/background checks as applicable
• 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

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience designing, specifying, or commissioning production equipment
• Experience designing tooling or fixtures for manufacturing or automation
• Experience across powder systems, mixers, liquid automation/dispensing, and tooling design for automation in a production environment
• Powder systems: loss-in-weight or gain-in-weight feeders, hoppers, pneumatic convey, dust collection, powder weigh/batch, powder incorporation into liquids/pastes
• Mixers: high-shear, planetary, dual-asymmetric, ribbon, paddle, vacuum, or reactor-style; mix scale-up; vacuum degassing; temperature-controlled mixing; multi-product changeover
• Liquid automation: piston/progressive cavity/gear pumps, meter-mix-dispense (MMD), pressure pots, cartridge or spray systems, robotic/automated dispense, recipe-driven multi-component control
• Tooling design for automation using 3D CAD (SolidWorks, NX, Inventor, or similar); GD&T and design for manufacturability
• Equipment automation experience: PLC/HMI basics, sensors, recipe/batch control, interlocks, data acquisition, or defining automation requirements with controls engineers
• Full project ownership from design/procurement through FAT/SAT and production implementation, including travel for vendor buyoffs
• Familiarity with silicone RTVs, multi-part adhesives, paints, ablatives, filled systems, or thermal protection materials
• NPI and scale-up from lab/pilot to high-rate production; lean manufacturing and changeover reduction
• DOE, SPC, and statistical tools (JMP, Minitab, or equivalent); Six Sigma Green or Black Belt
• Hazardous materials handling, chemical safety, and dust control; ERP/MRP exposure

Pay

Pay Range:

• Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
• Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Benefits

• Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• 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
• 3 weeks of paid vacation and eligibility for 10 or more paid holidays per year
• Paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law