---
title: 'Equipment Reliability Engineer (Starship) at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/equipment-reliability-engineer-starship-spacex-starbase-r2r8xxvvykyc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Equipment Reliability Engineer (Starship) at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Starbase, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-09-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8783271002?gh_jid=8783271002

## 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.

## EQUIPMENT RELIABILITY ENGINEER (STARSHIP)

As Starship production continues to push new bounds in order to satisfy the growing demands of the space industry, the complex and ever-evolving critical equipment required to build, integrate, and test our products must work harder than ever. Equipment Reliability Engineers hold the keys to the production machine; they not only help identify some of the most risk-heavy SpaceX production assets, but they technically diagnose, advise, implement, and execute a strategic path forward at the equipment-level to promote system reliability, minimize losses, and maximize critical asset efficiencies.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Own equipment improvement plans for maintenance strategies and equipment availability to maximize production equipment availability
- Define, develop, and refine equipment reliability programs that include:
- Preventive maintenance tasks performed by machine operators and experienced maintenance technicians
- Comprehensive BOM development and selection of critical spare parts
- Integration of existing equipment into SpaceX Internet of Things (IoT) to enable real time performance monitoring
- Design and integration of new sensors onto machines to set predictive and condition-based monitoring triggers
- Iterative design improvements
- Develop engineering solutions to repetitive or high consequence failures on critical equipment through Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Conduct Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) to create proactive reliability programs for critical equipment
- Coordinate cross-functionally to drive process improvements, design iterations and complete equipment overhauls
- Integrate with internal tooling, automation and production teams to ensure maintainability of design is incorporated into new internally designed equipment
- Develop and implement maintenance and reliability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to drive equipment improvements and organizational efficiency
- Support onboarding and commissioning of newly purchased or fabricated equipment; release reliability programs prior to equipment entering production
- Provide technical support to production, maintenance management and technical personnel
- Manage production requests for asset improvements and data collection

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
- 1+ years of experience in manufacturing, reliability, or operations

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

- 5+ years of experience in a maintenance engineering role and reliability in a high-volume manufacturing, testing or operational environment
- Hands-on experience with equipment control systems, machinery, tooling and industrial automation
- Developed understanding of mechanical, fluid, and electrical component functions
- Experience using Microsoft SQL and PowerBI
- Ability to read and understand equipment schematics, P&ID, GD&T and OEM manuals
- Familiarity with aerospace manufacturing and test equipment; CNC, SMT, 3D printing, robotics, tooling, furnaces, chillers, etc.
- Experience working with CMMS programs such as Maximo, SAP, Infor
- Basic understanding of maintenance and reliability KPIs; OEE, MTBF, MTTR
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Detail oriented, organized, and able to demonstrate a high sense of urgency

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Stand: Up to 6 hours per day
- Sit: Up to 3 hours per day
- Push/Pull: Up to 50lbs. (unassisted) 1 to 2 hours per day
- Overhead reach: Up to 1 hour per day
- Walk: Up to 3 hours per day
- Lift/Carry: Up to 25lbs. (unassisted) 1 to 2 hours per day
- Climb (ladder/stairs): up to 3 hours per day
- Kneel/Crouch: up to 3 hours per day
- Upper body twist: Up to 3 hours per day
- Ability to work in temperatures over 80 degrees: up to 3 hours per day
- Candidate must be capable of safely working at heights (up to 500ft), in confined spaces, using an air purifying respirator, and performing the physical requirements of the job listed in the job description. 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)

## Other roles at SpaceX

- [CNC Specialist (NX CAM) - Blades & Vanes](https://feeny.ai/job/cnc-specialist-nx-cam-blades-vanes-spacex-bastrop-e68yy8a0j64d) — Bastrop, TX
- [Thermal Development Technician, Robotic Welding (Starship)](https://feeny.ai/job/thermal-development-technician-robotic-welding-starship-spacex-starbase-yqmzqsw8pyah) — Starbase, TX
- [Welding Engineer (Starship)](https://feeny.ai/job/welding-engineer-starship-spacex-starbase-z0zrxryrqszb) — Starbase, TX
- [Application Software Engineer, Internal Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/application-software-engineer-internal-systems-spacex-starbase-9rnsx3q0cyry) — Starbase, TX
- [Sr. Full Stack Engineer, MES (Manufacturing Execution System)](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-full-stack-engineer-mes-manufacturing-execution-system-spacex-bastrop-1gyzme2f3f1j) — Bastrop, TX
- [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/full-stack-software-engineer-spacex-bastrop-n75e0act3wmn) — Bastrop, TX
- [Full Stack Software Engineer, Internal Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/full-stack-software-engineer-internal-systems-spacex-hawthorne-b72wbzcr99xr) — Hawthorne, CA
- [Merchandising Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/merchandising-associate-spacex-starbase-gedk4n16vt1h) — Starbase, TX
- [Supervisor, NDE Operations (Starship)](https://feeny.ai/job/supervisor-nde-operations-starship-spacex-starbase-6f3d8eat9aam) — Starbase, TX
- [Sr. Executive Chef](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-executive-chef-spacex-bastrop-xt5kafx8a4pq) — Bastrop, TX