Process Development Engineer

About the role

SpaceX is building the technology to make humanity a multi-planetary species. This role focuses on the Build Reliability team, where you will refine the systems and workflows required to manufacture, maintain, and launch advanced rockets. You will own the end to end development of manufacturing processes that directly support rapid iteration and high flight cadence. The position requires you to act as a systems thinker, connecting physical production constraints with data driven insights. You will be responsible for ensuring that hardware moves efficiently from concept to flight through robust and scalable processes. This role gives you direct ownership over the frameworks that ensure rocket reusability and production reliability. You will translate complex operational challenges into standardized procedures that can be audited and improved over time. Ultimately, your work will enable the company to scale its most ambitious engineering projects while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Create and manage processes for hardware nonconformance, configuration, traceability, and rocket reusability.
• Define software requirements and business use cases for ERP system upgrades.
• Write scripts, perform database queries, and handle front and back end development.
• Maintain and improve internal software, including managing technical debt and implementing new logic.
• Build workflows, AI agents, and prompts to support internal operations.
• Serve as a technical expert for troubleshooting and data gathering across production systems.
• Establish standardized metrics for Quality and Production departments.
• Author and audit procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and quality standards.
• Manage communication and training plans for organizational process changes.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Supply Chain, Mission Operations, and other departments to ensure operational consistency.
• Analyze production data to identify bottlenecks and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Partner with cross functional teams to implement lean manufacturing principles and reduce waste.
• Support the development of tools that automate data collection and reporting for mission critical processes.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and determine their applicability to production and reliability challenges.

Requirements

• Bachelor degree in an Engineering field.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a production or manufacturing setting.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain ITAR authorization, requiring U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.
• Must be authorized to work in the country where the position is located.
• Must comply with all SpaceX policies regarding conduct, safety, and security.
• Must be able to work in a fast paced environment that demands high accuracy and attention to detail.
• Must be comfortable working with confidential and proprietary information.
• Must be able to manage multiple priorities and meet firm deadlines in a dynamic setting.
• Must demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills for cross functional collaboration.
• Must be proficient in using computers and standard office software to perform job functions.
• Must be willing to adhere to all quality management system requirements as directed.
• Must be able to travel as required by business needs.
• Must be compliant with all employment eligibility verification requirements.

Nice to have

• Experience in Industrial or Quality Engineering.
• Background in high-volume production or scaling electro-mechanical systems.
• Knowledge of lean tools: Six Sigma, Process Mapping, PFMEA, Root Cause Analysis, Control Plans, and APQP.
• Experience with statistical tools: DOE, SPC, ANOVA, Regression Analysis, and Minitab.
• Project management experience focused on manufacturing process overhauls.
• Familiarity with Quality Management Systems like AS 9100, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, or ISO/TS 16949.

Skills & tools

• Database structures and SQL.
• Programming: Python, VBA, .NET, Flask, Javascript, C#, and RESTful API development.
• Machine learning and data science techniques.
• Version control, software testing, and deployment.
• AI prompt engineering and AI code assistants.

Practical notes

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Salary: Level I ($100,000 to $115,000) or Level II ($110,000 to $135,000) based on experience and skills.

• Total rewards include potential stock options, long-term cash awards, discretionary bonuses, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401(k), life insurance, disability insurance, paid parental leave, 3 weeks of vacation, and 10+ holidays.
• Must be willing to work weekends and extended hours as needed.
• Travel requirement: up to 10%.
• ITAR compliance: Applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees.

The role is based in the Build Reliability team at SpaceX, where you will contribute directly to the company's mission of enabling life becoming multiplanetary. You will work alongside engineers, technicians, and operations specialists to ensure that every process supports the aggressive pace of rocket production and launch operations. Success in this role depends on your ability to manage complexity, communicate clearly, and execute with precision. You will be expected to take initiative and ownership of process gaps, proposing solutions that are both practical and scalable. This position is critical to ensuring that the hardware SpaceX builds can be produced reliably and safely.