Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Operations

About the role

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. This mechanical engineering role will support production programs through strategic planning, optimization of production processes, and alignment of resources to tasks. We are seeking engineers to lead cross-functional and multidisciplinary initiatives in a fast-paced environment that increase production throughput, optimize material flow, support new product introduction efforts, reduce build hours, and standardize best practices. You will own the development and execution of site and factory design plans that meet production rate targets, driving improvements to increase production throughput, reduce production build hours and quality issues, and remove waste from complex processes. As a subject matter expert in multiple Starship production processes and systems, you will enable complex data gathering, troubleshooting, and problem solving while defining new business processes and systems for high volume production, including manufacturing execution, inventory management, nonconformance resolution, configuration management, material traceability, process control, and maintenance. You will consistently contribute effort, leadership, and creative thinking to solving complex problems in a collaborative fashion and under tight deadlines, collaborating across disciplines including Production, Engineering, Test, Materials Management, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure efficiency and consistency across the organization.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Identify, design, plan, and execute capital equipment, machine, building/infrastructure, and layout upgrades to meet production, materials management, and site demand.
• Drive improvements to increase production throughput, reduce production build hours and quality issues, and remove waste from complex processes.
• Act as subject matter expert in multiple Starship production processes and systems, enabling complex data gathering, troubleshooting, and problem solving.
• Work as part of a team to develop, manage, and implement production strategies to mitigate future production risks and seize opportunities to improve output, quality, safety, and cost.
• Develop site and factory design plans that meet production rate targets, involving production line layouts, capacity studies, material flow analyses, building requirements, and facility/utility resources.
• Define new business processes and systems for high volume production, including manufacturing execution, inventory management, nonconformance resolution, configuration management, material traceability, process control, and maintenance.
• Train technicians, engineers, and leaders on best-in-class operations practices by driving process improvement workshops, providing training and information briefs on key topics, and demonstrating solutions in the area.
• Consistently contribute effort, leadership, and creative thinking to solving complex problems in a collaborative fashion and under tight deadlines.
• Collaborate across disciplines including Production, Engineering, Test, Materials Management, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure efficiency and consistency across the organization.
• Regularly present findings, improvement opportunities, and project execution to program leadership.
• Leverage statistical analysis and data visualization tools to interpret production performance, identify trends, and support decision making.
• Partner with supply chain and materials management to optimize inventory levels, reduce bottlenecks, and ensure timely availability of critical components.
• Lead cross-functional working sessions to align production schedules, resource allocation, and workforce planning with strategic objectives.
• Implement and refine lean manufacturing principles and Six Sigma methodologies to streamline workflows and eliminate non-value-added activities.
• Support the integration of new technologies and automation solutions to enhance production capability and scalability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace, industrial, or other engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of professional experience in production engineering, manufacturing, or industrial project management.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-stress, dynamic environment that includes working with changing needs and requirements.
• Strong proficiency with CAD programs such as Siemens NX, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or Revit.
• Solid understanding of Lean principles, Six Sigma concepts, and creative problem solving methodologies.
• Experience with discrete event modeling software, statistical analysis, or operations research fields is required.
• Proven capability to analyze large datasets, check for accuracy and errors, and communicate data-driven conclusions.
• Effective communication and presentation skills to regularly convey findings and project execution to program leadership.
• Ability to identify customer needs, gather requirements, and execute independently with minimal supervision.
• Willingness to contribute to and work effectively with multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet aggressive deadlines in a demanding production environment.
• Experience with manufacturing execution, inventory, and capacity planning (including MRP/ERP systems).
• Familiarity with Bluebeam Revu and AI tools is required for this role.
• Experience supporting production start-up and production ramp periods is mandatory.
• Proficiency with statistics, data analysis, cost/benefit analysis, and visualization tools such as Power BI or similar is essential.
• Capability to define and implement site and factory design plans that align with production rate targets.
• Experience with SQL and Python is required for data manipulation and process automation.

Nice to have

• Experience with high volume production atmospheres (automotive or similar).
• Experience supporting production start-up and production ramp periods.
• A demonstrated track record of reducing build hours and removing waste from complex processes.
• Strong background in configuring and optimizing manufacturing execution and inventory management systems.
• Familiarity with spaceflight hardware production and integration challenges.
• Experience leading capital equipment and infrastructure upgrade projects in a manufacturing setting.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance considerations relevant to aerospace production environments.

Practical notes

• This role is based at Starbase, TX.
• Engagement details must be confirmed from the official source.
• Work hours and travel expectations should be verified from the original posting.
• Visa sponsorship considerations and deadlines must be checked directly with the source material.