Sr. Materials Engineer, SX Casting

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.

SR. MATERIALS ENGINEER – SX CASTING

SpaceX continues to revolutionize the launch industry by combining advanced technological developments with pragmatic and lean manufacturing. This is especially important for the future of rapid and high-volume Starship flight, where power generation is crucial. As a member of the Materials Engineering team, you will own solving complex materials challenges in a rapidly innovating environment. You will regularly interface with engineering and supply chain teams, as well as have hands-on responsibilities with hardware, ultimately ushering in the next era of revolutionary spaceflight. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Partner with supply chain, vendors, and engineering teams to accelerate progress on development and production of SX (single crystal) casted components for gas turbines
• Develop, qualify and troubleshoot metal casting processes used in production 
• Provide technical review and advising for design efforts as it relates to material alloy and form selection, tooling, and material and process specifications
• Collaborate with and support vendors on qualification and property development of castings and processes
• Responsible for driving scaling and implementation of casted components to ground systems hardware
• Responsible for coordinating with ground engineering, vehicle engineering, supply chain, vendors, operations, technicians, and senior leadership on a consistent basis to stay aligned on product performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost requirements
• Dynamically balance the trade between manufacturability, performance, efficiency, and product life with business needs
• Perform root cause investigations using fractography, metallography, and characterization techniques 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in material science, materials engineering, weld engineering, metallurgical engineering, or other related engineering discipline 
• 5+ years of professional experience with developing metal casting technologies
• 3+ years of experience with metallographic characterization techniques and equipment, such as SEM-EDS, optical microscopy, hardness testers, mechanical property testing, and/or spectroscopy techniques for composition or phase 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in material science, materials engineering, weld engineering, metallurgical engineering, or equivalent engineering discipline 
• 5+ years of professional experience with SX casting technologies  
• Experience working on Ni-based superalloy castings
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills with enthusiasm for the team’s spirit of innovation in cutting-edge technology 
• Experience with technical review of material processes and a first principles understanding of how process variables impact material performance 
• Demonstrated track record of success in a rapidly growing, fast-paced and highly competitive environment 
• Personality and drive to execute in a scrappy entrepreneurial environment that operates under tight timelines and aggressive schedules 
• Hands-on experience in a high-production manufacturing environment 
• Effective written and interpersonal communication skills 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors for significant/extended periods of time (up to 35%)
• Ability to lift up to 30 Ibs unassisted
• Standing/walking for long periods of time
• Willingness to work long hours and weekends as necessary to accommodate manufacturing and test campaigns

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:    
    
Pay range:    
Sr. Materials Engineer: $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 insur