---
title: 'Sourcing Manager, Mechanical & Optical Commodities (Starlink) at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/sourcing-manager-mechanical-optical-commodities-starlink-spacex-bastrop-f6k788p03teq'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-20'
---

# Sourcing Manager, Mechanical & Optical Commodities (Starlink) at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Bastrop, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-06-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-20
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8563611002?gh_jid=8563611002

## 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.

SOURCING MANAGER, MECHANICAL & OPTICAL COMMODITIES (STARLINK)

SpaceX is leveraging our experience building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s largest satellite constellation and most advanced broadband internet system. We provide reliable and fast internet to millions of users worldwide, including populations with little or no connectivity, rural communities, aircraft, watercraft, and places where existing services are unreliable, too expensive, or disconnected by natural disasters. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system, thousands of satellites and consumer antennae that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing. The Starlink team is seeking out the best-in-class professionals to maximize Starlink’s potential for communities and businesses around the globe.

As a member of the Starlink supply chain team you will manage the sourcing across mechanical and optical commodities used on our Starlink Satellites. Our team moves quickly and you must too. SpaceX has the unique ability and desire to influence and shape suppliers to be better with us as we challenge our supply chain on cost, quality, and speed of execution.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Develop and manage supply base (domestic and international) that enables rapid design iteration
- Work directly with key suppliers to develop and implement sourcing and cost management strategies that support existing platforms and new product development
- Own supply continuity, capacity planning, and production readiness for rapidly scaling programs
- Drive supplier negotiations including pricing, LTAs, capacity investments, lead times, and commercial terms to ensure continuity of supply and protect SpaceX interests
- Monitor global industry trends, track technology roadmaps, and actively partner with the design teams to identify and mitigate supply and demand challenges
- Drive supplier negotiations including pricing, LTAs, capacity investments, lead times, and commercial terms
- Partner with engineering teams to support new product introduction (NPI), design changes, qualification activities, and production transitions
- Build and maintain sourcing strategies including multi source development, vertical integration opportunities, and new manufacturing techniques
- Lead executive-level supplier escalations and recovery efforts for quality, delivery, and technical risks
- Develop clear risk assessments, mitigation plans, and production recovery strategies
- Monitor and improve supplier performance including delivery, quality, responsiveness, and cost
- Drive end-to-end ownership of hardware from material readiness for prototype builds through full-rate production
- Manage costs to ensure alignment with program budget
- Present value propositions to executives, including those related to contract award, cost reviews, cost reduction strategies, and critical supply issues

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience working in purchasing, procurement, material planning, production planning, or supply chain management; or 9+ years of experience working in purchasing, procurement, material planning, production planning, or supply chain management in lieu of a degree

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

- 6+ years of procurement experience in direct commodity sourcing
- Technical procurement or planning experience with machined, optical, or photonic components
- Experience in new product introduction (NPI) and mass production (MP)
- Experience reading technical drawings, data sheets, fabrication drawing, BOMs and all related files
- Drive piece price and tooling negotiation process to ensure that SpaceX’s commodity pricing meet best-in-class expectations, while meeting best-in-class quality, in addition to driving continual cost reduction and avoidance initiatives through ad-hoc price negotiations
- Address all areas of category management including category business plans, market conditions, technology roadmaps, cost modeling, and sourcing strategies
- Proven track record of taking ownership, successfully negotiating preferred pricing, and driving results
- Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to respond quickly in a fast-moving and ever-changing environment
- Exceptional analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills
- Effective written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
- Conducts all activities with the highest level of integrity

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends when needed to meet critical deadlines
- Ability to travel and communicate outside of work hours
- Ability to travel: up to 30% of work week
- Must be able to work onsite in Bastrop, TX. Remote work not considered.

## 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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