The posting, in SpaceX's own words
archived Nov 5, 2026SpaceX 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. INTEGRATION ENGINEER, HEATSHIELD (STARSHIP) Starship requires a robust Thermal Protection System (TPS) to withstand the extreme heat generated during atmospheric reentry at hypersonic speeds. The thermal hardware team is responsible for the design, analysis, integration, and continuous improvement of Starship's reentry heatshield and structures. As an integration engineer, you will work very closely with the production team to build, integrate, test, and refurbish heat shield hardware on Starship. You will help inform design updates required for flight reliability and production efficiency as well as development of major upgrades for future heat shield architectures. At Starbase, you will have the opportunity to work in an exciting and dynamic environment, dividing your time between the office and the production floor to ensure the delivery of the best-engineered product and ultimately mission success.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Integrate and test heat shield hardware on assembled ships Evaluate flown ships and coordinate repair and replacement of heat shield tiles and related hardware Drive design solutions as needed to get to a fully reusable heat shield Work closely with production team Work hands on with hardware Troubleshoot build issues and improve production processes Design tooling to improve efficiency and reliability Write instructions for efficient and reliable production Test and qualify new or refined thermal protection system solutions
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BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in material science, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or aerospace engineering 1+ years of engineering experience designing, analyzing, or building mechanical or thermal systems (internship and school projects experience qualify)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
3+ years hands on build and test experience with thermal protection, structural, or mechanical systems Strong fundamentals in the materials and mechanisms by which thermal protection systems operate Experience with hardware that has had to perform in challenging thermal environments such as rockets, reentry vehicles or other extreme temperature applications Ability to manage multiple complex projects in parallel, staying organized, and communicating clearly Familiarity and experience with production, installation, qualification, and use of thermal protection system materials Experience using Siemens NX, or similar CAD software Ability to perform basic thermal or mechanical analysis
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary Ability to travel domestically Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral
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 . 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 .