Build Reliability Engineer (Starship Valves & Components) Verified today

Build Reliability Engineer (Starship Valves and Components)

The Build Reliability organization at SpaceX is committed to the reliability of flight components and production assemblies. As a Build Reliability Engineer, you will own hardware across the full lifecycle from design to production and operation, collaborating with design, manufacturing, and integrated product teams. You will employ "reliability by any means necessary", stretching your expertise in fabrication methods, work instructions, tooling design, inspection procedures, and data analysis. You will build new processes from the ground up and continuously improve existing ones, driving production improvements and owning build-induced vehicle risk. Working hands-on in the office, factory floor, and lab, you will make decisions guided by data and deep-dive problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Develop manufacturing, integration, assembly, welding, NDE, cleanliness, and checkout processes from the ground up, then enforce consistency across work centers.
• Identify reliability gaps in manufacturing and design processes, ideate solutions, and implement improvements to maintain reliability during production ramp-up.
• Partner with design engineering and manufacturing teams to create quality plans for flight hardware, including key characteristic identification, prototype testing, first article and detailed inspection planning, and incorporation of past failures and lessons learned.
• Monitor product and process success through production ramp-up using quality and analysis tools.
• Conduct regular build quality reviews to ensure design intent is achieved and communicated; identify opportunities for risk reduction and complexity removal in designs and processes.
• Investigate failures in production, test, and flight to identify and mitigate immediate and underlying root causes.
• Design and implement tooling for work access, mechanical/avionics/propulsion testing, build fixturing, lifting and rigging, and fluids.
• Define and document inspection requirements and procedures.
• Contain suspect or non-conforming product and provide guidance to quality inspectors, technicians, supervisors, and engineers on quarantine and rework activities across multiple sites.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or another STEM-related field.
• 1 or more years in a manufacturing, quality, and/or design engineering role (student project team or internship experience qualifies).

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with build, assembly, or integration of structures, avionics, valves, fluid system components, actuators, thermal protection systems, or other aerospace components.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills and enthusiasm for innovation and reliability improvement in cutting-edge technology.
• Master's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, or electrical engineering.
• Demonstrated application of process controls in high-volume manufacturing, test, and quality environments.
• Knowledge of welding requirements and demonstrated experience implementing process improvements and controls for both automated and manual welding processes.
• Knowledge of quality tools: Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, advanced product quality planning (APQP), metrology, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and problem-solving approaches.
• Experience developing or supporting: complex mechanical/structural assemblies, fluid component/valve assembly, CNC machining, forming and bending, fluid system pressure testing, or welding (electron beam/TIG).

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours, weekends, and offsite as needed.

Compensation

Build Reliability Engineer Level I: $100,000.00 to $117,500.00 per year.
Build Reliability Engineer Level II: $115,000.00 to $140,000.00 per year.

Actual level and base salary determined case-by-case based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is one part of your total rewards package. You may be eligible for long-term incentives including company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards; discretionary bonuses; and employee stock purchase plan discounts. Benefits include comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage; 401(k) retirement plan; short and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; paid parental leave; 3 weeks paid vacation; 10 or more paid holidays per year; and paid sick leave.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.