Propulsion Engineer, Chamber and Nozzle Manufacturing

SpaceX

Confirmed live 2 days ago Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Salary: $100,000–$115,000 / yr
Posted: 126 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live 2 days ago
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $159k

This role $108k

$89k most similar roles pay here $205k

This role pays less than 94% of similar roles. Most pay $138,362–$179,474 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $108k versus about $159k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

SpaceX currently has 680 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$165,000 across 442 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Propulsion Engineer, Chamber and Nozzle Manufacturing

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As a Propulsion Engineer, Chamber and Nozzle Manufacturing (Raptor), you will join the propulsion team to focus on manufacturing complex combustion chambers and nozzles for rocket engines. You will design, implement, and scale production processes to improve dimensional accuracy, reduce cycle times, and increase throughput while maintaining high quality standards. Your daily work involves owning fabrication methods, creating custom fixtures, and building data pipelines for statistical process control and predictive analytics. You will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to resolve nonconformances and optimize manufacturing for thin-walled alloys and intricate cooling channels. The role requires expertise in machining, brazing, welding, forming, tube bending, and structural assembly. You must be proficient in design for manufacturability, interpreting engineering drawings, and utilizing data acquisition systems to solve the technical challenges of high-pressure, high-temperature rocket components.

Skills

Manufacturing Process Development Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Machining Brazing Welding Forming Tube Bending Data Pipelines Statistical Process Control Predictive Analytics Machine Learning Data Acquisition Systems Engineering Drawings Simulation Version Control

What you'll do

Own the fabrication, assembly, and optimization of manufacturing methods for Raptor thrust chambers and nozzle extensions.
Develop and refine manufacturing strategies, work instructions, custom fixtures, and tooling for complex components.
Build and maintain data pipelines to capture manufacturing telemetry for statistical process control and predictive analytics.
Convert new propulsion designs into robust, scalable production processes while resolving nonconformances.
Manage the entire production line including quality, capital equipment, safety, and facility layout.
Oversee manufacturing software, documentation, simulation, and version control to ensure process standardization.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
At least 1 year of hands-on experience with manufacturing process development for complex metallic components.
Experience with machining, brazing, welding, forming, tube bending, and structural assembly.
Expertise in design for manufacturability (DFM) to move products through development, testing, and production.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings.
Understanding of test methods, setups, and data acquisition systems.
Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible for export control authorizations.
Ability to stand for long durations and work directly with hardware on the floor.