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New Graduate Engineer, Mechanical

SpaceX· Texas - Test Equipment Engineers
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Waco, TXfull-timePosted 6mo ago

About the role

Entry-level mechanical engineering role focused on test operations and ground support equipment for SpaceX propulsion and spacecraft systems, with hands-on testing, data analysis, and rapid problem solving in a fast-paced environment at the Central Texas test facility.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute tests at the engine and component level to evaluate hardware performance and survivability during the mission
  • Repeated ownership of test campaigns, including test plan creation, new system activation, test operations, data review, and test stand equipment design/fabrication
  • Provide daily directions and instructions to technicians to fabricate and integrate test articles and stand equipment
  • Develop and maintain test procedures, sequences, scripts, configuration files, and software
  • Operate and troubleshoot data acquisition and control systems, wiring, and instrumentation (DAQ systems are primarily National Instruments-based)
  • Operate and troubleshoot fluid and mechanical systems that include low to high-pressure gaseous working fluids and rocket propellants (including hypergols & cryogenics) as well as structural components and supporting infrastructure
  • Operate mechanical systems; these include test stand support structures, heat exchangers, vacuum pumps, tooling, and fluid components such as valves, reliefs, burst disks, tubing, etc.
  • Automate repetitive test operations to increase efficiency and safety
  • Develop innovative processes to increase testing capability and rates, while maintaining high rigor of safety
  • Identify and characterize system pitfalls and potential hazards, then work to resolve such anomalies by collaborating with design engineers on improvements for test stands and flight hardware
  • Analyze, design, and build systems that support testing of fully integrated flight vehicles, individual rocket engines, and various rocket components
  • Drive cradle-to-grave ownership of engineering projects through design reviews, decision justifications, equipment procurement, and coordination/participation in the construction of your ideas
  • Work directly with skilled technicians to build your designs and fix real-world problems on the fly
  • Maintain a tight feedback loop with the test operations team to rapidly alter plans as necessary to meet tight testing deadlines critical to company success
  • Operate and troubleshoot equipment to achieve testing objectives, and apply lessons learned to iterate system designs for improved performance and maintenance
  • Evaluate complex engineering needs and arrive at solutions to seemingly impractical problems that support test programs and achieve company objectives
  • Take a hands-on approach to tackling rapidly emerging field projects that keep the company testing rocket engines and vehicles every single day

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or physics
  • 1+ years of mechanical and/or fluids engineering experience via project team, research, internships, and/or professional experience
  • Graduating with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD in 2026 or 2027

Skills

Nice to have:Fluid, structural, or mechanical systems understandingCritical thinking and problem solving under pressureHands-on fabrication (machining, welding)CAD (Siemens NX)ASME piping and pressure vessel design
Last updated Jul 8, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About SpaceX

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