Sr. Critical Lift & Transport Engineer

About the role

SpaceX is hiring an engineer to own all critical transport and lift operations for Falcon vehicles and ground support equipment at the Vandenberg launch site. You will handle structural, civil, and mechanical challenges using both engineering judgment and detailed calculations. The position demands technical depth, leadership ability, and coordination across multiple teams to execute mission-critical work without interrupting production.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Own planning, analysis, and execution of heavy lifts and transports for large hardware on land and at sea, including rocket stages and structural components
• Act as primary technical authority, working with structures, manufacturing, launch operations, and supply chain leadership to align lift and transport work with program schedules
• Create lift plans, rigging designs, and transport configurations using computational tools and center-of-gravity calculations
• Partner with vehicle analysis, launch ops, logistics, and recovery vessel teams to evaluate mass properties, rigging points, structural limits, stability, and load paths
• Write rework dispositions for maintenance, emergency procedures, and equipment upgrades on SPMTs, diesel engines, hydraulic trailers, and crane hardware
• Perform and communicate risk assessments, hazard analyses, and fatigue/stress analyses
• Supervise on-site operations including pre-lift dry runs, real-time monitoring, and post-operation reviews
• Manage external vendors for specialized equipment rentals and oversee contracted crane, rigging, hydraulic trailer, and marine transport work
• Maintain engineering calculations, drawings, and reports for audits and lessons learned
• Support off-hour operations and troubleshoot issues during high-stakes or first-time lifts
• Improve lift and transport processes by streamlining workflows and adopting new technologies
• Present certification packages and engineering data to NASA, US Space Force, and other government agencies

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
• 5+ years of hands-on work with mechanical and structural hardware
• 2+ years of experience with crane lifting, rigging, or transport operations
• Willingness to work weekends and night shifts as needed
• Ability to pass Air Force background check for Vandenberg Space Force Base
• Physical ability to lift, stand, climb, bend, grasp, sit, pull, push, stoop, stretch, and carry

Nice to have

• 7+ years in critical heavy lifts, rigging engineering, or heavy transport in aerospace, energy, defense, or construction
• Familiarity with Roll-On, Roll-Off barge operations and cargo securing manuals for at-sea work
• Experience in high-pressure industrial environments around hazardous systems (high pressure, high energy, hazardous gases and fluids)
• Proficiency with Siemens NX, SOLIDWORKS, or similar CAD tools
• Solid grasp of statics, dynamics, materials science, and failure modes
• Knowledge of lifting standards including AFSPCMAN 91-710, OSHA, and ASME B30
• Hands-on expertise with crawler cranes, all-terrain cranes, SPMTs, jacks, and gantries
• Experience with anomaly data review and root cause identification
• NCCCO crane operator certification, NCCER rigger certification, or PE license
• Familiarity with Falcon or Starship transport logistics
• Strong communication skills for presenting to leadership and training junior engineers
• Master's degree in a relevant engineering field

Skills & tools

• Structural and mechanical analysis
• Center-of-gravity calculations
• Rigging design and lift planning
• Siemens NX, SOLIDWORKS, or equivalent CAD software
• OSHA, ASME B30, AFSPCMAN 91-710 compliance

Practical notes

• ITAR restriction: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident (green card holder), refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or able to obtain required authorization from the U.S. Department of State
• Compensation may include company stock, stock options, long-term cash awards, discretionary bonuses, and access to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Benefits include medical, vision, and dental coverage, 401(k) plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and paid parental leave
• 3 weeks paid vacation, 10+ paid holidays per year, and paid sick leave per company policy
• Reasonable accommodation requests: EEOCompliance@spacex.com

About the company

Based in Starbase, Texas, a company pursues work in spaceflight, telecom, and artificial intelligence. A unit handles rocket launches, leading yearly orbital counts beyond other national and commercial teams. Another unit runs Starlink, a satellite communications firm. A third area, through SpaceXAI, advances Grok and AI integration with X, while managing data center operations. Roles often cross these paths. Candidates with engineering, software, or operations backgrounds may find chances to join projects that span launch, connectivity, and machine learning efforts in this Texas-based enterprise.