Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. SpaceX develops technologies to enable human space exploration and life on Mars. The Principal Mechanical Engineer will design and build Starship flight hardware, develop structural designs and CAD models, analyze and test components and assemblies, and support factory assembly and production improvements.
Responsibilities
- Develop design concepts from a clean sheet and size vehicle structures based on flight loads
- Collaborate with peers from different vehicle systems to develop designs that 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 your designs in detail and analyze your structures to prove they meet the needs of the vehicle
- Apply first-order hand calculations and empirical formulas to assess and iterate on your designs rapidly
- Validate your designs by building development articles to test individual 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 your designs
- Support the assembly of your hardware in the factory, witness your designs being brought to life daily, and watch them take flight and make history
Skills
- * Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
- * 7+ years of experience with mechanical design and analysis
- * Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
- * Stand: Up to 3 hours per day
- * Sit: Up to 6 hours per day
- * Push/Pull: Up to 50lbs. (unassisted) Up to 15 minutes per day
- * Overhead reach: Up to 3 hours per day
- * Walk: Up to 3 hours per day
- * Lift/Carry: Up to 25lbs. (unassisted) Up to 15 minutes per day
- * Climb (ladder/stairs): Up to 1 hour per day
- * Kneel/Crouch: N/A
- * Upper body twist: N/A
- * Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees: up to 30 minutes per day
- * Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500ft), in confined spaces, using an air purifying respirator, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description
- * To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State
- * Experience designing, analyzing, building, and testing high performance, mechanical systems
- * Experience working within interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to challenging and complex problems
- * Experience with FEA or multiphysics simulation package (e.g. NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS)
- * Experience designing and executing qualification testing
- * Strong understanding of mechanical first principles and structural analysis methodologies
- * Proficiency in selecting materials and manufacturing methods for mechanical components
- * Analytical/scientific programming experience (i.e. Python, Matlab, Excel)
- * Self-motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills
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