Principal Mechanical Engineer (Starship)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 28, 2026. First seen by Alion on May 14, 2026. SpaceX scores B on the Alion truth index.
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.
PRINCIPAL MECHANICAL ENGINEER (STARSHIP)
Our elite Starbase team is working on our planet's toughest and most audacious project: making humanity multi-planetary. The mechanical engineer is responsible for designing and building flight hardware such as propellant tanks, integration interfaces, primary structures, and structural subassemblies. You will be empowered to make real-time decisions, solve complex problems on the fly, and own end-to-end processes. The role will require the readiness to develop subject matter expertise in design for manufacturability, specifically those related to sheet metal and subassembly design and fabrication. If you are ready to be a hardware owner, eager to get out from behind a desk, and be hands-on working alongside a world-class production team, this may be the right role for you.
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
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
- 7+ years of experience with mechanical design and analysis
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- 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
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
- Ability to travel to Starbase, TX (up to 25% travel may be required)
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay range:
Senior: $130,000.00 - $180,000.00/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 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. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.
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 reach out to [email protected].