Principal Mechanical Engineer (Starship)
SpaceX· Ship Engineering
Hybrid (Remote - TX)full-timePosted 3w ago
About the role
Senior mechanical engineer role focused on designing and building flight hardware for Starship, including propellant tanks, integration interfaces, primary structures, and structural subassemblies. Hands-on hardware ownership with end-to-end responsibility, design for manufacturability, and close collaboration with production.
Responsibilities
- Develop design concepts from a clean sheet and size vehicle structures based on flight loads
- Collaborate with peers from different vehicle systems to balance mass, cost, and capability
- Create detailed designs to implement structural concepts and generate CAD models in NX for components, assemblies, and vehicle integration
- Build finite element models to assess designs and prove they meet vehicle needs
- Apply first-order hand calculations and empirical formulas to iterate designs rapidly
- Validate designs by building development articles to test joints and design elements for strength
- Perform structural testing on subassemblies and full sections of the airframe
- Partner with build engineers and technicians to improve designs
- Support the assembly of hardware in the factory, witnessing designs brought to life and flight readiness
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
- 7+ years of experience with mechanical design and analysis
Skills
Required:Mechanical design and analysisCAD modeling in NX
Nice to have:Finite Element Analysis (FEA)Material selection and manufacturing methodsHands-on hardware ownershipPython / Matlab / Excel
Benefits
- Not explicitly listed in the provided description
Last updated Sep 30, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About SpaceX
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