Sr. Materials Engineer, Materials Laboratory

SpaceX

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
Hawthorne, CA
Salary
$135,000–$190,000 / yr
Posted
4 days ago

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Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $167k
This role $162k
$124k most similar roles pay here $210k

This role pays less than 52% of similar roles. Most pay $132,447–$201,700 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $162k versus about $167k 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 611 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$155,000 across 444 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Sr. Materials Engineer, Materials Laboratory

The Sr. Materials Engineer role at SpaceX's Materials Laboratory in Hawthorne, CA, involves ensuring data quality and integrity across various lab segments including Thermal Analysis, Characterization, Chemistry, Reliability, Mechanical Testing, and R&D. This self-starter will develop engineering controls, train personnel on test methods, investigate anomalies, and drive process improvements using tools like SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, and more. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of materials science and experience with equipment such as TGA, DSC, DMA, Gleeble, and proficiency in data analysis tools like Python or MATLAB. They will collaborate closely with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to support SpaceX’s critical hardware programs.

What you'll do

  • Own data quality and integrity across multiple lab segments.
  • Develop and implement engineering controls and calibration procedures for accurate data output.
  • Lead root cause investigations for anomalous or out-of-specification data.
  • Drive process improvement projects, introducing new methods and optimizing existing techniques.
  • Train lab personnel on fundamental scientific principles and best practices.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science or related field with 5+ years of professional experience.
  • Master’s degree or PhD and deep understanding of materials science across various domains.
  • Experience developing, qualifying, and documenting new laboratory test methods.
  • Strong project management skills for managing multiple concurrent projects.
  • Proficiency with data analysis tools (Python, MATLAB) and hands-on equipment experience.
  • Ability to perform root cause analysis on test data and mentor lab technicians.

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