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Launch Reliability Engineer Verified today

SpaceX · Vandenberg, CA · Production · first seen 2026-09-10
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Launch Reliability Engineer

The Launch Reliability Engineer is the advocate for mission assurance at the launch site by promoting efficient and reliable operational processes. You will partner with Flight Reliability, Launch Reliability, and Launch Operations teams to ensure mission success on Falcon 9, Dragon, Starship and other programs.

Responsibilities

  • Reliably launch astronauts and other payloads by ensuring vehicle, payload, and spacecraft processing is efficiently designed and executed
  • Interact with disciplines responsible for development and build of Falcon 9, Dragon, Starship and launch pad systems to ensure optimized process health
  • Identify high-risk processes and problems during vehicle processing or refurbishment, and proactively implement improvements to ensure operational excellence
  • Lead root cause and corrective action investigations to solve the biggest problems
  • Maintain feedback loops to drive hardware inputs that enable reliable and rapid launch cadence using data to prioritize high-impact issues
  • Participate in preliminary design review (PDR) and critical design review (CDR) meetings to work with design reliability on design for quality (DFQ), design for manufacturability (DFM), risk quantification and mitigation, and appropriate test validation and inspection techniques

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline or physics
  • 1+ years of professional or internship experience in quality, manufacturing, or design engineering

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, or related engineering discipline
  • Experience supporting production of complex electro-mechanical, mechanical or composites systems in high volume work centers or during production ramp-up
  • Knowledge of Lean principles, Six Sigma, 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
  • Dedicated to adopting Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability

Requirements

  • Ability to pass Air Force background check for Vandenberg Space Force Base
  • Available to work extended hours, nights, and weekends when required by mission milestones
  • 1st shift nominal work hours 7:00am - 5:00pm
  • Must be U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, Refugee or Asylee, or eligible to obtain required authorization from U.S. Department of State per ITAR requirements

Compensation

Level 1: $100,000 - $130,000 annually
Level 2: $115,000 - $160,000 annually

Actual level and base salary determined on case-by-case basis based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. Base salary is one part of total rewards package including long-term incentives (company stock or long-term cash awards), discretionary bonuses, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, 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+ paid holidays per year, and accrued paid sick leave.