Materials Engineer, Polymers

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.

MATERIALS ENGINEER, POLYMERS

SpaceX plans to revolutionize the launch market through the use of cutting-edge technologies which drive down cost and increase accessibility. Rapid and efficient reusability of a launch vehicle that experiences the most extreme of environments requires novel material systems to solve these difficult challenges. The Materials Engineer in this role will be hands-on tackling implementation and troubleshooting of polymer material systems on the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own implementation and scale-up of novel polymer material systems used on Starship hardware

• Provide guidance to engineering and production teams on materials selection, testing and analysis of adhesives, sealants, coatings, and other non-metallic materials

• Generate and maintain design for manufacturing requirements for these materials and their application processes used to build Starship

• Coordinate and execute qualification testing of polymer material systems

• Support root cause failure investigations as a subject matter expert for adhesive/rubber/plastic failure mechanisms

• Partner with engineering and production teams to generate ideas for material and process improvements on current and next-generation vehicles

• Develop and maintain application process specifications for these materials

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in materials science, materials engineering, polymer science, chemistry, physics, or other engineering discipline

• Experience with characterizing, testing, and evaluating the performance of plastics, elastomers and adhesives

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree or PhD in materials science, materials engineering, polymer science, chemistry, physics, or other related engineering fields

• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills with enthusiasm for the team’s spirit of innovation in cutting-edge technology

• Experience in polymer characterization techniques and equipment, including SEM-EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, LFA, DMA, TMA, rheometry, optical microscopy, mechanical property testing

• Familiarity with industry specifications for adhesives, sealants, coatings, structural plastics, and other non-metallic materials

• Demonstrated track record of success in a fast-paced and highly competitive environment

• Strong ability to work autonomously, communicate well and have extreme ownership for areas of responsibility

• Diverse knowledge of aerospace quality polymeric / elastomeric materials and their processing

• Broad understanding of failure modes in polymer materials

• Experience with technical review of polymer processing and understanding interaction between process variables and resultant material performance

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors for significant/extended periods of time (up to 25%)

• 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

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].