Lead Manufacturing Engineer (Starlink Injection Molding)

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

LEAD MANUFACTURING ENGINEER (STARLINK INJECTION MOLDING)

As a Lead Manufacturing Engineer at SpaceX, you will have the opportunity to utilize your knowledge, experience and creativity to develop novel solutions at the cutting edge of technology.

SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable.

We are looking for a talented lead engineer to take ownership of the high-performance production line in Austin and the team of engineers and specialists supporting it through end of product life. In parallel you would support development efforts and provide design for manufacturability feedback for the next gen products and production lines currently in design. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead a team of manufacturing engineers responsible for development of plastic injection molding and high pressure die casting manufacturing processes for Starlink hardware
• Implement plug-and-play processes to production that are capable of high-volume throughput (1M+ per year)
• Align department initiatives with the goals and responsibilities of the manufacturing engineering team
• Lead overall manufacturing development strategy for the areas under ownership for key metrics: quality, delivery, and cost. Actively measure team’s performance against these metrics
• Manage team’s technical documentation strategy and ensure records are up-to-date
• Manage and mentor other manufacturing engineers and interns on the team. Evaluate project scope according to team’s skillset including labor and resourcing estimation
• Oversee team’s recruiting activities
• Take direct ownership of the physical production layout, optimizing for material flow from material receiving through processes on the line
• Manage strategy for production line tooling, inventory, training and build process and ensure all are updated according to the latest design configuration
• Responsible for influencing design to increase product manufacturability
• Drive design for test (DFT) best practices and design for manufacturing (DFM) with design engineers and test engineers
• Identify automation opportunities and establish requirements as well as evaluating return on investment for each. Work with in-house resources or vendors as necessary to develop these solutions and implement on production line
• Support production line with technical issues that cannot be addressed immediately on the line

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, systems, electrical, or manufacturing engineering
• 1+ years of direct leadership experience or project leadership scope

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree in an engineering discipline
• Previous experience leading team of high performing engineers and/or specialists
• Ability to design tooling for high volume manufacturing
• Ability to develop and maintain high performing suppliers and contract manufacturers
• Experience working in a highly adaptive and iterative environment
• Experience implementing automation into production processes
• Experience transitioning products from design to manufacturing and scaling to high volume as part of a cross-functional team
• Experience with design of experiments, gauge repeatability and reproducibility, and process qualifications
• Experience defining production data requirements and statistical process control
• Experience integrating electromechanical assemblies with both manual and automated processes
• Experience with NX and Teamcenter
• Experience working with and defining requirements for ERP, MRP and MES systems

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing and able to work extended hours and/or weekends with minimal notification as needed 
• Able to travel for business trips as needed (up to 70%) to Hawthorne, CA for initial training (3-4 months) and up to 10% on an ongoing basis

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:      

Pay range:      
Manufacturing Engineer/Lead: $125,000.00 - $175,000.00/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Exempt employees are eligible for 5 days of sick leave per year.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• 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. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.