Job brief: Mechanical Engineer, Heatshield (Starship)

What JoRoute checked · Checked by JoRoute

• Listed on SpaceX's own job board. JoRoute does not take listings from job ads or recruiters.
• First seen by JoRoute 2026-11-04 (3 days ago); last confirmed on the board 2026-11-07.
• The apply link opens boards.greenhouse.io, the address SpaceX's board gives for this job.
• No other listing with this title and place on this board in the last 90 days.
• No layoff notices (WARN) under this name in the state files JoRoute reads.

What the listing says · Employer's own words, not checked

• Pay: Not published
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Starbase, TX
• Posted: 2026-06-22 · over 60 days ago

What the job asks · Employer's own words, not checked

Level: Entry level. The posting asks for 1+ years of experience.

Must have

• 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)
• 3+ years of experience working on thermal protection systems
• Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S.
• § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S.

Conditions

• Starship requires a robust Thermal Protection System (TPS) to withstand the extreme heat generated during atmospheric reentry at hypersonic speeds.
• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
• Ability to travel domestically
• Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral

Main duties

• Develop, test, and qualify new or refined thermal protection system solutions for our Starship architecture
• Own the outcome and set up the end-to-end solutions to thermal challenges from idea to flying hardware
• Work with production on resolving issues on the floor and on the vehicle with our flight hardware
• Analyze and troubleshoot post-flight conditions on vehicle heatshields to drive vehicle changes and improvements
• Coordinate with analysis, avionics, structures, supply chain, and reliability engineers to drive multidisciplinary projects

Lines copied from the posting, not rewritten. "Preferred" or "nice to have" items are not listed as must-haves.

How it compares · Compared by JoRoute from listings

• Typical listed pay for mechanic and technician jobs across the U.S.: $71k a year (1,428 listings, 94 employers). This listing does not publish pay to compare.
• Across SpaceX's 2,898 open listings, 59% of those with a posting date were first posted more than 60 days ago. How SpaceX hires

What nobody outside the employer knows · Not known

• Whether the role is already filled or on hold: employers often leave listings up.
• How many people applied, and who reads the applications.
• The pay an offer would carry.

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