Supplier Development Engineer, Hardware & Fasteners

About the role

You will manage the end-to-end supply chain for Starship mechanical hardware, including fasteners, fluid fittings, and dynamic components. This role requires frequent on-site presence at supplier facilities to ensure production quality, capacity, and schedule adherence for flight-critical parts.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Oversee the lifecycle of fasteners, dynamic hardware, and fluid control components from supplier selection through high-rate production.
• Act as the primary technical contact for suppliers to resolve manufacturing, quality, and capacity bottlenecks.
• Manage new product introductions and work transfers by qualifying suppliers and validating production processes.
• Execute production part approvals and process validations to ensure hardware meets flight requirements.
• Lead root-cause analysis for defects involving heat treat, plating, machining, and material certification.
• Collaborate with design and manufacturing teams to optimize part specifications for cost, lead time, and manufacturability.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities and develop underperforming vendors or identify new sources as needed.
• Represent SpaceX in SAE technical committee meetings regarding fastener and hardware standards.

This role is about owning the supply chain for the mechanical hardware that keeps Starship flying. Fasteners, fluid fittings, and dynamic components are flight-critical, so every supplier and every part must meet rigorous standards for quality, capacity, and schedule. You will oversee the full lifecycle of these parts from supplier selection through high-rate production, and you will act as the primary technical contact for suppliers when manufacturing, quality, or capacity bottlenecks need to be resolved.

The work includes bringing new hardware into production. You will manage new product introductions and work transfers by qualifying suppliers and validating production processes, and you will execute production part approvals and process validations to ensure hardware meets flight requirements. When defects occur, you will lead root-cause analysis for issues involving heat treat, plating, machining, and material certification. You will also collaborate with design and manufacturing teams to optimize part specifications for cost, lead time, and manufacturability, evaluate supplier capabilities, and develop underperforming vendors or identify new sources as needed. The role also includes representing SpaceX in SAE technical committee meetings regarding fastener and hardware standards.

Because the parts you oversee are flight-critical, there is little room for error: every fastener and fitting must be traceable to a validated process and a certified supplier. That is why on-site presence at supplier facilities is such a large part of the role, and why travel can reach 50-75% of the time.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of experience in process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or supplier development.
• Ability to travel to supplier locations up to 50-75% of the time.
• Ability to work extended hours, including nights and weekends as required by production schedules.
• Valid driver's license.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience with cold heading, thread rolling, machining, and surface finishing.
• Familiarity with aerospace fastener standards such as NAS, AN, MS, ASTM, and AMS.
• Proficiency in quality frameworks including PPAP, APQP, FAIR, PFMEA, and MSA.
• Experience with AS9100 or ISO 9001 quality systems.
• Knowledge of structured problem-solving methods like 8D, 5-Why, and statistical tools such as SPC or Minitab.
• Ability to interpret complex engineering drawings, including GD&T.
• Experience with CAD software and collaborative drawing revisions.

Skills & tools

Mechanical fasteners (bolts, nuts, screws, springs, bearings), destructive and nondestructive testing (hardness, tensile, fatigue, magnetic particle), Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement.

Practical notes

Compensation: Level 1 ($100,000 - $117,500) or Level 2 ($115,000 - $140,000) based on experience. Benefits: includes company stock or long-term cash awards, discretionary bonuses, ESPP, medical/vision/dental, 401(k), life insurance, disability, paid parental leave, 3 weeks vacation, and 10+ paid holidays. ITAR Requirements: must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee to comply with U.S. export regulations.