---
title: 'Development Test Technician - 2nd Shift at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/development-test-technician-2nd-shift-spacex-starbase-mdr5v837pkb6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-22'
---

# Development Test Technician - 2nd Shift at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Starbase, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-07-15
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-22
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8627395002?gh_jid=8627395002

## Job description

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.

## DEVELOPMENT TEST TECHNICIAN - 2ND SHIFT

Test technicians for the Starbase Structures team are highly multidisciplinary, and this individual will be tasked with a wide variety of test operations and test equipment fabrication work. The team consists of technicians and engineers working closely together to build mechanical and fluid assemblies, modify and integrate test articles, build data and control systems, and support testing operations.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Build, modify, and troubleshoot new or existing test equipment, ranging from fluid systems, mechanical assemblies, data and control systems, and instrumentation
- Fabricate high-pressure fluid panels, plumbing, and hydraulic manifolds, including tube fabrication and routing, cleaning, proofing, and activating
- Install instrumentation, build and route harnessing, and troubleshoot instrumentation and wiring issues
- Build, operate, and troubleshoot hydraulic systems, including pumps, actuators, servos, winches, etc.
- Assemble, modify, and inspect test articles, including structural fabrication (precision drilling, doublers, brackets, blending, painting, bonding, etc.), leak detection, non-destructive testing, and instrumentation installation (strain gauges)
- Participate in rigging and crane operations for test equipment and test articles, including hangar bridge cranes and mobile crane lifts
- Build and modify data and control systems, ranging from small mobile DAQs to large data and control infrastructure for test stands with thousands of channels
- Maintain, calibrate, configure, monitor, test, troubleshoot, install, and repair instrumentation, process controls, data acquisition systems, and electrical systems
- Participate in test operations, including configuration of high-pressure, hazardous, and cryogenic fluid systems, connecting hydraulic actuators and instrumentation, controlling hazardous areas, troubleshooting instrumentation and test hardware, and monitoring test video and data

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- High school diploma or equivalency certificate
- 3+ years of experience with one or more of the following: working with and troubleshooting mechanical systems, high-pressure fluid systems, instrumentation (strain gauges, load cells, temperature sensors, deflection gauges, accelerometers, or pressure transducers), data and control systems, or test operations on mechanical or electrical systems

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

- Ability to rapidly change roles and responsibilities, and learn new skills while working in a fast-paced and challenging work environment
- Associate degree in an engineering, mechanical, electrical systems, or other related field
- A&P license
- Computer skills, including experience using Microsoft Office, Teamcenter, NX
- Experience reading/interpreting planning documents, schematics, wiring diagrams, specifications, drawings, manuals, blueprints, and engineering sketches
- Experience with aerospace testing (propulsion, structural, etc.)
- Experience in airframe structural repair
- Experience with hydraulic plumbing repair/fabrication
- Experience with non-destructive inspection equipment and techniques
- Experience with precision measuring instruments/equipment
- Knowledge of various fittings (NPT, MS, AN, Swagelok, medium pressure)
- Knowledge of various fasteners (Hi-Lok, rivets, NAS, MS, SAE Grade 5 / 8, locking inserts, locking nuts, super bolts, etc.)
- Experience with aerospace or military-grade harness fabrication
- Knowledge of data acquisition and controls concepts, hardware, and interfacing (National Instruments PXI / cSeries and PLC)
- Experience with the fabrication of data and control systems (junction boxes, rack mount hardware, etc.)
- Experience with electrical tools (oscilloscopes, multimeters, soldering irons, crimpers, strippers, etc.)
- Experience with component and system-level troubleshooting skills and the ability to logically solve instrumentation system problems and determine corrective action
- Experience with DC power supplies, distribution, DC-DC converters, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
- Experience with analog and digital instrumentation (load cells, pressure transducers, strain gauges, encoders, deflection gauges, and accelerometers)
- Experience with ground support equipment fabrication or modification in the aerospace industry
- Experience with rigging, cranes, and lift operations

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Standard hours for this position are 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Must be available for overtime and weekends as the schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility is required
- Ability to support shift rotations as site demands change
- Flight hardware is typically built in tight quarters, and physical dexterity is required
- Valid driver's license and a clean driving record
- Typically exposed to work in extreme outdoor environments - heat, cold, rain
- Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, and noise
- Must be able to travel to other SpaceX facilities when needed (up to 25% travel)
- Stand: Up to 10 hours per day
- Sit: Up to 3 hours per day
- Push/Pull: Up to 75 lbs. (unassisted) between 1 to 2 hours per day
- Overhead reach: Up to 10 hours per day
- Walk: Up to 10 hours per day
- Lift/Carry: Up to 50 lbs. (unassisted) between 1 to 2 hours per day
- Climb (ladder/stairs): Up to 6 hours per day
- Kneel/Crouch: Up to 10 hours per day
- Upper body twist: Up to 6 hours per day
- Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees for 6 hours or more per day
- Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500 ft), in confined spaces, operating heavy equipment and machinery, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description - the candidate may be required to complete a pre-employment questionnaire and/or physical to confirm these capabilities, which may include a medical history review

## 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](https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987).

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 EEOCompliance@spacex.com.

## About SpaceX

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft while building a global satellite broadband network and AI infrastructure to enable interplanetary life.
- **Entity Type**: Public (Nasdaq: SPCX) – IPO priced at $135/share on June 12, 2026
- **Headquarters**: Starbase, Texas (primary); Hawthorne, California (historical headquarters)
- **Founded**: 2002
- **Founders**: Elon Musk

## Core Business
- **Industries**: Aerospace & Defense, Spaceflight, Satellite Telecommunications, Artificial Intelligence
- **Target Customers**: Government (NASA, U.S. Armed Forces, international agencies), Commercial satellite operators, Broadband consumers (Starlink), Defense/intelligence (Starshield)
- **Mission**: To make humanity multiplanetary by building the integrated hardware and software infrastructure of the future across space, connectivity, and AI.

## Products & Services
- **Falcon 9**: Reusable two-stage rocket – the world’s most launched orbital rocket, with over 630 successful first-stage reflights.
- **Falcon Heavy**: Heavy-lift launch vehicle composed of three Falcon 9 cores; capable of lifting nearly 64 metric tons to orbit.
- **Starship**: Fully reusable super-heavy launch vehicle and spacecraft (largest ever built) designed for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
- **Dragon 2**: Crew and cargo spacecraft used for NASA Commercial Crew and private missions to the ISS and beyond.
- **Starlink**: Low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation providing high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to over 10.3 million people globally.
- **Starshield**: Military-grade satellite services for national security and defense customers.
- **SpaceXAI**: Division focused on AI compute infrastructure, frontier models, and real-time data processing (including AI compute satellites).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Conflicting reports – Internal share offer in 2025 valued SpaceX at **$800 billion**; IPO pricing (June 2026) implied a market capitalization of approximately **$75 billion** for the shares offered.
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue of **$15.0 billion** (2025); total funding raised **$15.2 billion** across 56 rounds.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Google (led $1B Series G), Intesa Sanpaolo, NASA, U.S. Space Force, and numerous institutional investors.
- **Growth Signals**: Employee headcount of **11,387** (monthly growth +2.5%); **1,671 active job postings**; Falcon 9 launch cadence of 1–3 per week; Starlink subscriber base covering ~10.3 million people; recent acquisition of xAI (February 2026).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Full reusability**: Only company with a fleet of reusable orbital rockets (Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy), dramatically lowering per-launch cost.
- **Vertical integration**: Designs, manufactures, and operates its own rockets, spacecraft, satellite constellation, and AI platform – enabling rapid iteration and cost control.
- **Scale and reliability**: More orbital launches per year than any other provider (public or private); proven track record with NASA and DoD.
- **First-mover in commercial spaceflight**: Established crew transport, satellite internet, and now AI compute in orbit.

## Strategic Focus
- **Starship development**: Complete testing and operational deployment of the fully reusable Starship system for lunar (Artemis) and Mars missions.
- **Starlink expansion**: Grow subscriber base, launch V3 satellites, and extend mobile and direct-to-cell services.
- **AI integration**: Leverage SpaceXAI for on-orbit compute and real-time data analytics; build AI compute satellites.
- **Interplanetary infrastructure**: Develop technologies for sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: Employees directly contribute to making life multiplanetary – “hard work and innovative solutions result in big gains.”
- **Impactful projects**: Work on reusable rockets, crewed spacecraft, global broadband, and AI systems that are actively changing the space industry.
- **Compensation**: Competitive salaries, comprehensive health benefits, and equity packages.
- **Work locations**: Primary campuses in Hawthorne, CA and Starbase, TX (with additional sites in Cape Canaveral, FL and Vandenberg, CA). Roles span engineering, software, manufacturing, and support.
- **Engineering culture**: Merit-based, fast-paced, with high ownership; top talent sourced from Tesla, Boeing, NASA JPL, and other aerospace leaders.
- **Open roles**: Over 1,600 active positions across software, AI, avionics, propulsion, supply chain, and more – including internships.

## Sources
1. [SpaceX Careers Page](https://www.spacex.com/careers)
2. [LinkedIn – SpaceX Company Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/spacex)
3. [SpaceX IPO Factsheet (PDF)](https://content.spacex.com/cms-assets/FINAL_Documents%20and%20Updates/SpaceX%20IPO_Factsheet.pdf)
4. [SpaceX IPO Pricing Press Release](https://ir.spacex.com/updates/releases-details/2026/Space-Exploration-Technologies-Corp--Announces-Pricing-of-Initial-Public-Offering/default.aspx)
5. [SpaceX Jobs Board (Greenhouse)](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/spacex)

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