STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, STRUCTURAL TEST (STARSHIP)

The Starship Structural Test team is responsible for testing the limit of Starship’s primary structure. We are seeking a senior structural engineer who will be both an individual contributor and a technical leader on large steel and steel-reinforced concrete structural systems. You will architect, perform detailed design and analysis on, and build structures to apply flight-like loads to Starship test articles. Due to the iteration speed and scale of the loads, you will be challenged to develop unique, fast-to-build, and cost-effective structures.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

As a member of the team, you can expect:

• A dynamic role contributing technical expertise in the design, analysis, and fabrication of large composite steel and concrete structures 
• Work with vehicle and test engineers to develop test structures from conception. Your designs won’t be isolated – they often interact directly with the rocket structure – so careful consideration of boundary conditions, load paths, and stiffness will be necessary
• Be responsible for fabrication planning and on-site fabrication support of your structures

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline 
• 5+ years of experience in the engineering of composite steel and concrete structural systems used in large buildings, bridges, nuclear containment, test systems, or other large-scale applications 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

• An advanced degree in aerospace, civil/structural, mechanical engineering, or related field 
• Experience with nonlinear structural analysis for steel and concrete structural systems 
• Licensed Structural Engineering (SE) or Professional Engineering (PE)
• Knowledge of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Steel Construction Manual, American Concrete Institute (ACI) code 318, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7, and International Building Codes (IBC)
• Knowledge of ETABS, SAP2000, S-Concrete, ANSYS, FEMAP, or similar analysis design programs

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, and noise 
• Schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility required 
• Stand: Up to 6 hours per day
• Sit: Up to 6 hours per day
• Push/Pull: Up to 50lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Overhead reach: Up to 3 hours per day
• Walk: Up to 10 hours per day
• Lift/Carry: Up to 25lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Climb (ladder/stairs): Up to 10 hours per day
• Kneel/Crouch: Up to 3 hours per day
• Upper body twist: Up to 3 hours per day
• Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees 6 hours or greater per day
• Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500ft), in confined spaces, operating heavy equipment and machinery, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description. Candidate may be required to complete a pre-employment questionnaire and/or physical to confirm these capabilities, which may include a medical history review.

STRUCTURES DESIGN ENGINEER - STARSHIP STRUCTURAL TEST

The structures design engineer designs and builds hardware to support the Starship Structural Test team. This role includes creating test fixtures, large structural weldments, mechanical interfaces, and fluid systems for system-level static and dynamic structural testing. You will make fast decisions, solve tough problems in the moment, and own projects from start to finish. The job requires you to build deep knowledge in design for manufacturability and test, especially for fluid and hydraulic systems, welded structures, subassembly design, and fabrication. If you want to own hardware, get away from your desk, and work directly with the Starship Structural Test team and skilled technicians, this may be the right role for you.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design metallic structures and ground cryogenic, gas, and hydraulic systems on fast timelines
• Review specifications and other engineering data to create mechanical systems
• Update designs and drawings through engineering change orders to keep up with SpaceX's rapid design changes
• Create detailed component and assembly drawings with a strong grasp of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and tolerance stack-ups

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
• 1+ years of mechanical design and drafting experience (including internships or personal projects)
• Experience with 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software (NX, SolidWorks, etc.)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Solid understanding and use of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
• Hands-on experience in school clubs or project teams where you designed hardware in tight systems under clear deadlines
• Familiarity with sheet metal design, welded structures, and fluid systems
• Ability to manage large assembly models and drawings
• Strong ability to communicate and work well in a team with daily contact with technicians, engineers, and leaders
• Creative problem solver who brings different teams together to gain support for one clear design direction
• Self-motivated with strong multitasking, organization, communication, and documentation skills

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Flight hardware is typically built in tight quarters, and physical dexterity is required
• Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, and noise 
• Schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility required
• Stand: Up to 6 hours per day
• Sit: Up to 6 hours per day
• Push/Pull: Up to 50lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Overhead reach: Up to 3 hours per day
• Walk: Up to 10 hours per day
• Lift/Carry: Up to 25lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Climb (ladder/stairs): Up to 10 hours per day
• Kneel/Crouch: Up to 3 hours per day
• Upper body twist: Up to 3 hours per day
• Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees for 6 hours or more per day
• Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500ft), in confined spaces, operating heavy equipment and machinery, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description. Candidate may be required to complete a pre-employment questionnaire and/or physical to confirm these capabilities, which may include a medical history review

DEVELOPMENT TEST ENGINEER, STRUCTURES (STARSHIP)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position is a test engineer for the Starship Structural Test team. This team develops, designs, builds, and executes large system-level static and dynamic structural tests. The test engineer's role is highly multidisciplinary; the individual may be expected to: 

• Work with vehicle engineers, develop and execute static and dynamic system-level structural tests from conception. This includes test article and test stand configuration, boundary conditions, fluid, electrical, and software schematics, and concept of operations
• Design, modify, and build mechanical systems. Systems include small lugs and brackets through large structural weldments
• Design, modify, build, and troubleshoot fluid systems. Systems include low to high-pressure gaseous working fluids, rocket propellants (including cryogenic propellants), and hydraulic load control systems
• Design, modify, build, and troubleshoot data acquisition (DAQ) and control systems, wiring, and instrumentation. DAQ systems are primarily NI-based, and instruments include strain gages, pressure transducers, deflection gages, load cells, thermocouples, and resistance temperature detectors (RTD)
• Develop and maintain test procedures, sequences, scripts, configuration files, and software
• Operate the test stand from test assembly and activation through test execution with a small team of engineers and technicians
• Provide daily direction and instruction to technicians to integrate test articles and hardware (install instrumentation and wiring, assemble small and large mechanical components, repair metallic structures, pressurize and functional check pressure systems, lift and transport large structures)
• Review data manually or using automatic scripts

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or other engineering field
• 1+ years of experience with testing, mechanical or data acquisition, and control system design (internships and college competition team count)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Strong technical skills in one or more of the following areas: mechanical or structural design, data acquisition and instrumentation, programming, fluid and hydraulic design or operation, and structural testing
• Demonstrated ability to learn new skills and adapt to new situations - unfazed by challenges that go beyond the traditional comfort zone or experience
• Experience in project ownership under technical and schedule pressure, and where the scope and definition were limited
• Experience testing and operating with or around hazardous systems (high pressure, high energy, hazardous gases and fluids, etc.)
• Experience working on projects that involve the integration of electrical, mechanical, and software systems (launch vehicle and/or spacecraft experience is not required)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Flight hardware is typically built in tight quarters, and physical dexterity is required
• Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, and noise 
• Schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility required
• Stand: Up to 6 hours per day
• Sit: Up to 6 hours per day
• Push/Pull: Up to 50lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Overhead reach: Up to 3 hours per day
• Walk: Up to 10 hours per day
• Lift/Carry: Up to 25lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Climb (ladder/stairs): Up to 10 hours per day
• Kneel/Crouch: Up to 3 hours per day
• Upper body twist: Up to 3 hours per day
• Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees for 6 hours or more per day
• Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500ft), in confined spaces, operating heavy equipment and machinery, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description. Candidate may be required to complete a pre-employment questionnaire and/or physical to confirm these capabilities, which may include a medical history review

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, STRUCTURAL TEST (STARSHIP)

The Starship Structural Test team is responsible for testing the limit of Starship’s primary structure. We are seeking a structural engineer who will be both an individual contributor and a technical leader on large steel and steel-reinforced concrete structural systems. You will architect, perform detailed design and analysis on, and build structures to apply flight-like loads to Starship test articles. Due to the iteration speed and scale of the loads, you will be challenged to develop unique, fast-to-build, and cost-effective structures.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

As a member of the team, you can expect:

• A dynamic role contributing technical expertise in the design, analysis, and fabrication of large composite steel and concrete structures 
• Work with vehicle and test engineers to develop test structures from conception. Your designs won’t be isolated – they often interact directly with the rocket structure – so careful consideration of boundary conditions, load paths, and stiffness will be necessary
• Be responsible for fabrication planning and on-site fabrication support of your structures

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline 
• 2+ years of experience in the engineering of composite steel and concrete structural systems used in large buildings, bridges, nuclear containment, test systems, or other large-scale applications 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

• An advanced degree in aerospace, civil/structural, mechanical engineering, or related field 
• Experience with nonlinear structural analysis for steel and concrete structural systems 
• Licensed Structural Engineering (SE) or Professional Engineering (PE)
• Knowledge of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Steel Construction Manual, American Concrete Institute (ACI) code 318, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7, and International Building Codes (IBC)
• Knowledge of ETABS, SAP2000, S-Concrete, ANSYS, FEMAP, or similar analysis design programs

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, and noise 
• Schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility required 
• Stand: Up to 6 hours per day
• Sit: Up to 6 hours per day
• Push/Pull: Up to 50lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Overhead reach: Up to 3 hours per day
• Walk: Up to 10 hours per day
• Lift/Carry: Up to 25lbs. (unassisted) 15 minutes per day
• Climb (ladder/stairs): Up to 10 hours per day
• Kneel/Crouch: Up to 3 hours per day
• Upper body twist: Up to 3 hours per day
• Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees for 6 hours or greater per day
• Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500ft), in confined spaces, operating heavy equipment and machinery, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description. Candidate may be required to complete a pre-employment questionnaire and/or physical to confirm these capabilities, which may include a medical history review.