Propulsion Engineer (Merlin Hardware Development)

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. PROPULSION ENGINEER (MERLIN HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT) As a Merlin Propulsion Engineer, you will own engine hardware and software from first build through acceptance test, flight, and re-flight. You will drive design, process, and operational changes that improve Merlin reliability, producibility, and performance—and help Falcon scale production and flight rate without sacrificing the flight heritage that made it the world’s most reliable launch vehicle. On any given week you might be hands-on with the engine, in a design or test review, briefing a customer, or closing an anomaly investigation before the next launch. RESPONSIBILITIES: Serve as the Responsible Engineer for a Merlin engine component or system, where you will be the primary technical point of contact for your hardware through the complete life cycle Lead Merlin development and qualification test campaigns for hardware improvements or root cause investigations Design, analyze, produce, and operate Merlin propulsion hardware and systems across development and flight operations Partner with engineers and technicians across production, test, launch, avionics, GNC (guidance, navigation & control), software, mission management, and flight reliability to deliver flight-ready engines Resolve day-to-day production, test, and launch issues by getting hands-on with the hardware Brief commercial and government customers on hardware changes and issues as a technical authority for mission success Make sound, risk-informed decisions under time pressure, including during test and launch campaigns Implement and maintain hardware and software verification and validation using automation and process controls that scale with flight rate Develop and im