---
title: 'Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Mesh Optical (Starmind) at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-manufacturing-engineer-mesh-optical-starmind-spacex-bastrop-nxexd7jfvvg3'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-03'
---

# Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Mesh Optical (Starmind) at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Bastrop, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-10-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-03
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8923484002?gh_jid=8923484002

## 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.

## LEAD MANUFACTURING ENGINEER, MESH OPTICAL (STARMIND)

As the Lead Manufacturing Engineer of optical transceiver production at SpaceX, you will own manufacturing engineering strategy and production execution across the factory: scaling lines, deploying new automated production cells, driving yield and throughput, and building the team to sustain it. You will own the relationship between our process and production teams. You will provide input into the design and development of new and existing hardware and take a lead role in manufacturing on our current and next generation Starlink products and AI compute.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Own manufacturing engineering strategy and production execution across the factory, including line scaling, capacity planning, and production readiness for new products
- Design and scale automated production cells for precision electro-mechanical and optical assemblies, integrating robotics, alignment systems, inspection, and test automation
- Own product-to-manufacturing handoff in partnership with mechanical, process, and optical engineering teams, driving design-for-manufacturability and design-for-assembly feedback into product development
- Define and evolve production workflows, material flow, line layout, and inventory and traceability systems to support increasing volume and product complexity
- Lead hardware-side MES integration and factory data system development, ensuring production data supports real-time decision-making, traceability, and continuous improvement
- Own factory performance metrics—yield, scrap, throughput, uptime, cycle time, and reliability—and drive systematic improvement against targets
- Build, lead, and develop the manufacturing engineering organization, including production engineering and production leadership roles, scaling the team in step with factory growth
- Partner with supply chain and procurement to qualify incoming materials and components and ensure supplier quality supports production yield targets
- Establish and maintain manufacturing process documentation, control plans, and qualification procedures

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
- 5+ years of experience working with automated integration lines, high volume electronics manufacturing or similar
- 1+ years of experience leading a team of engineers, either as a project leader or as a leader in professional environment with direct reports

## PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

- Experience with micron-scale assembly, optical alignment, or die/chip-level packaging processes
- Experience hiring, mentoring, and organizational development of engineering team
- Experience implementing or evolving MES and production data systems
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to factory performance
- Demonstrated ownership of yield and ramp performance in complex hardware manufacturing environments
- Proven experience scaling automated production lines beyond pilot and NPI into sustained high-volume manufacturing
- Background in semiconductor, photonic, advanced packaging, or precision electro-optical manufacturing
- Experience scaling manufacturing operations in high-growth hardware companies, including standing up new lines or new factories
- Experience with factory automation architectures, including integration of robotic handling, machine vision, and in-line metrology
- Familiarity with statistical process control, process capability analysis, and reliability qualification methodologies
- Experience managing relationships with equipment vendors and integrators for custom or semi-custom production tooling
- Experience with cleanroom or controlled-environment manufacturing operations

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

- Available to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed
- Willingness to travel as needed

## 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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