New Graduate Engineer - Launch & Test

4w1 month ago

SpaceX

US · Full-time · $85,000 – $110,000

About this role

SpaceX is building the infrastructure to make humanity multiplanetary, and Starship will not fly without world-class launch and test systems. As a new graduate engineer on the Starship Launch & Test team, you will work directly on the design, analysis, activation, and operation of the Starship tower, launch mount, fluid systems, and test stands.

You will perform structural, thermal, and fluids analysis to evaluate and optimize hardware designs, and contribute to fluid systems that handle cryogens and high-pressure gases for testing and launch operations. Your day-to-day includes collaborating with vehicle, software, and operations teams to ensure systems integrate and perform reliably.

This high-impact role places new graduates directly on real hardware that supports testing, launch, and recovery of the most powerful rocket ever built. You will work hands-on with technicians to build, activate, and troubleshoot systems in a fast-paced environment, participate in design reviews, and help translate requirements into manufacturable hardware.

You will assist with test planning, real-time operations support, and post-test data review, identifying opportunities to improve reliability, reduce turnaround time, and increase launch rate. This is a role for someone who wants to solve problems that have never been solved before and push the boundaries of what's possible.

Requirements

Graduating with a bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD in 2026 or 2027
Degree in an engineering discipline or physics
1+ years of mechanical or fluids design, analysis, or build experience via project team, research, internships, and/or professional experience
Strong ability to use data and analysis to make fast data-driven decisions
Ability to perform trade studies and make clear recommendations using first principles and engineering fundamentals even with partial information
Experience building hardware or a passion for contributing to a work product that operates in the real world
Demonstrated rapid growth, with successive positions of increasing responsibility and the ability to accomplish meaningfully difficult work early in your career
Demonstrated resilience and the ability to overcome failure or extreme odds

Responsibilities

Support the design, analysis, and development of Starship launch mount, tower, and test infrastructure
Perform structural, thermal, and fluids analysis to evaluate and optimize hardware designs
Contribute to fluid systems that handle cryogens and high-pressure gases for testing and launch operations
Collaborate with vehicle, software, and operations teams to ensure systems integrate and perform reliably
Participate in design reviews and help translate requirements into manufacturable hardware
Work hands-on with technicians to build, activate, and troubleshoot systems in a fast-paced environment
Assist with test planning, real-time operations support, and post-test data review
Drive rapid iteration by applying engineering fundamentals to solve complex, real-world problems

Benefits

Work directly on real hardware for the most powerful rocket ever built
Hands-on involvement in testing, launch, and recovery operations
Rapid iteration environment where new graduates contribute to high-impact systems from day one
Opportunity to solve never-before-solved problems and push the boundaries of space exploration