---
title: 'Mechanical Engineer, Mechanisms (Crew Starship) at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-mechanisms-crew-starship-spacex-starbase-ms1sjyex6s5k'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-13'
---

# Mechanical Engineer, Mechanisms (Crew Starship) at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Starbase, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-08-17
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8692371002?gh_jid=8692371002

## 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.

## MECHANICAL ENGINEER, MECHANISMS (CREW STARSHIP)

After 50 years, humankind will once again return to the surface of the moon using SpaceX’s new vehicle, Crew Starship (also known as HLS or the Human Landing System) – this time for good. Starship will usher in the next era of crewed spaceflight and exploration, ultimately allowing us to establish permanent communities on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. As a Mechanical Engineer on the Crew Starship team, you will design and build spacecraft systems that are critical to the success and safety of future astronauts. Disciplines within this team include primary and secondary structures, mechanisms, and crew-interfacing hardware. Your design solutions will be driven by all future Crew Starship missions (Lunar, Mars, etc.). This role requires full hardware ownership, from initial design requirements and concepts all the way through design, analysis, prototype, qualification, and integration.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Own the design, analysis, and manufacturing of next generation structures and mechanisms for Starship vehicles needed for long duration and landing missions (examples include the solar deploy system, landing legs, and lunar elevator)
- Perform hand calculations and FEA to develop, assess, and optimize designs
- Rapidly iterate on manufacturing processes and development testing in a fast-paced environment
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure hardware integrates with Starship systems and supports necessary mission operations
- Lead design reviews internally and externally with suppliers and customers (e.g., NASA)
- Negotiate complex trade studies to optimize for cost, schedule, safety, and performance, among other considerations
- Be responsible for project delivery timeline from early design through production, launch, and recovery

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
- 1+ years of experience with mechanical design and analysis (internship and extracurricular experience qualifies)

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

- 3+ years of professional experience in mechanical design and analysis
- Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes of complex mechanical systems
- Strong ability to use data and analysis to make fast data-driven decisions
- Experience with structures and mechanisms in aerospace or aviation industries
- Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations even with partial information
- Experienced in Siemens NX, Ansys, and/or Abaqus
- Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
- Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) and ability to succinctly present recommendations to other engineers, stakeholders, management, and executive staff
- Experience at a nimble engineering organization or in a highly technical position that required a scrappy, entrepreneurial manner to accomplish tasks with tight time or budget constraints
- Leadership experience on an engineering or project team

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical milestones
- Occasional travel to other SpaceX work sites

## 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

- [Supervisor, Logistics (Materials Management) - 3rd Shift](https://feeny.ai/job/supervisor-logistics-materials-management-3rd-shift-spacex-cape-canaveral-3c6zv6rdtyvr) — Cape Canaveral, FL
- [Recruiting Coordinator (Starbase) - Temporary](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiting-coordinator-starbase-temporary-spacex-starbase-nw7j59mscvz6) — Starbase, TX
- [Porter - Temporary (Starbase)](https://feeny.ai/job/porter-temporary-starbase-spacex-starbase-3ys1xf8bmqq7) — Starbase, TX
- [Construction Project Manager, Residential (Starbase Development)](https://feeny.ai/job/construction-project-manager-residential-starbase-development-spacex-starbase-p00rxrj1vtq8) — Starbase, TX
- [Payroll Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/payroll-analyst-spacex-hawthorne-38jywattts6b) — Hawthorne, CA
- [Plumber](https://feeny.ai/job/plumber-spacex-starbase-hfjqbvth5qfz) — Starbase, TX
- [Events Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/events-lead-spacex-bastrop-g07qdv84x8fz) — Bastrop, TX
- [Controls Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-technician-spacex-starbase-322d2rb5gvc5) — Starbase, TX
- [Inventory Control Clerk](https://feeny.ai/job/inventory-control-clerk-spacex-mcgregor-6xqyfhggmq40) — Mcgregor, TX
- [Material Flow Analyst (Starship)](https://feeny.ai/job/material-flow-analyst-starship-spacex-starbase-yt992d5pjqcq) — Starbase, TX