---
title: 'Sr. Operations Engineer, Starship Production (Starbase) at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/sr-operations-engineer-starship-production-starbase-spacex-starbase-a0xnctygh4qb'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Sr. Operations Engineer, Starship Production (Starbase) at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Starbase, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-07-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8624742002?gh_jid=8624742002

## 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.

## SR. OPERATIONS ENGINEER, STARSHIP PRODUCTION (STARBASE)

At the forefront of SpaceX’s mission to make humanity an interplanetary species, Starship is the vehicle that will deliver humans to Mars and beyond. This operations engineering role will support production programs through strategic planning, optimization of production processes, and alignment of resources to tasks. We are seeking engineers to lead cross-functional and multidisciplinary initiatives in a fast-paced environment that increase production throughput, optimize material flow, support new product introduction efforts, reduce build hours, and standardize best practices.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Identify, design, plan, and execute capital equipment, machine, building/infrastructure, and layout upgrades to meet production, materials management, and site demand
- Drive improvements to increase production throughput, reduce production build hours and quality issues, and remove waste from complex processes
- Act as subject matter expert in multiple Starship production processes and systems, enabling complex data gathering, troubleshooting, and problem solving
- Work as part of a team to develop, manage, and implement production strategies to mitigate future production risks and seize opportunities to improve output, quality, safety, and cost
- Develop site and factory design plans that meet production rate targets, involving production line layouts, capacity studies, material flow analyses, building requirements, and facility/utility resources
- Define new business processes and systems for high volume production, including manufacturing execution, inventory management, nonconformance resolution, configuration management, material traceability, process control, and maintenance
- Train technicians, engineers, and leaders on best-in-class operations practices by driving process improvement workshops, providing training and information briefs on key topics, and demonstrating solutions in the area
- Consistently contribute effort, leadership, and creative thinking to solving complex problems in a collaborative fashion and under tight deadlines
- Collaborate across disciplines including Production, Engineering, Test, Materials Management, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure efficiency and consistency across the organization
- Regularly present findings, improvement opportunities, and project execution to program leadership

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, industrial, or other engineering discipline
- 5+ years of professional experience in production engineering, manufacturing, or industrial project management

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

- Experience with high volume production atmospheres (automotive or similar)
- Proficiency with CAD programs (Siemens NX, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Revit, or similar)
- Proficiency with Lean principles, Six Sigma concepts and applications, creative problem solving and project management methodologies
- Proficiency with statistics, data analysis, cost/benefit analysis, and visualization tools such as Power BI or similar
- Experience with inventory, production, and capacity planning (including MRP/ERP systems)
- Experience with SQL, Python, and AI tools
- Experience with discrete event modeling software, statistical analysis, or operations research fields
- Experience with Bluebeam Revu
- Experience analyzing large datasets, checking for accuracy/errors in datasets, and communicating data driven conclusions
- Experience supporting production start-up and production ramp periods
- Able to contribute to and work well with multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams
- Ability to identify customer needs, gather requirements, and execute independently
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-stress, dynamic environment that includes working with changing needs and requirements
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to communicate with and influence stakeholders in higher-level leadership

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Must be able to work extended hours, some nights and/or weekends when needed to meet major milestones
- Must be able to travel - up to 5-10% travel may be required to other SpaceX facilities
- This position is based in Starbase, TX and requires being onsite - 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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