Materials Engineer, Polymers

MATERIALS ENGINEER, POLYMERS

SpaceX plans to revolutionize the launch market through the use of cutting-edge technologies which drive down cost and increase accessibility. Rapid and efficient reusability of a launch vehicle that experiences the most extreme of environments requires novel material systems to solve these difficult challenges. The Materials Engineer in this role will be hands-on tackling implementation and troubleshooting of polymer material systems on the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own implementation and scale-up of novel polymer material systems used on Starship hardware
• Provide guidance to engineering and production teams on materials selection, testing and analysis of adhesives, sealants, coatings, and other non-metallic materials
• Generate and maintain design for manufacturing requirements for these materials and their application processes used to build Starship
• Coordinate and execute qualification testing of polymer material systems
• Support root cause failure investigations as a subject matter expert for adhesive/rubber/plastic failure mechanisms
• Partner with engineering and production teams to generate ideas for material and process improvements on current and next-generation vehicles
• Develop and maintain application process specifications for these materials

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in materials science, materials engineering, polymer science, chemistry, physics, or other engineering discipline
• Experience with characterizing, testing, and evaluating the performance of plastics, elastomers and adhesives

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree or PhD in materials science, materials engineering, polymer science, chemistry, physics, or other related engineering fields
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills with enthusiasm for the team's spirit of innovation in cutting-edge technology
• Experience in polymer characterization techniques and equipment, including SEM-EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, LFA, DMA, TMA, rheometry, optical microscopy, mechanical property testing
• Familiarity with industry specifications for adhesives, sealants, coatings, structural plastics, and other non-metallic materials
• Demonstrated track record of success in a fast-paced and highly competitive environment
• Strong ability to work autonomously, communicate well and have extreme ownership for areas of responsibility
• Diverse knowledge of aerospace quality polymeric / elastomeric materials and their processing
• Broad understanding of failure modes in polymer materials
• Experience with technical review of polymer processing and understanding interaction between process variables and resultant material performance

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors for significant/extended periods of time (up to 25%)
• Ability to lift up to 30 Ibs unassisted
• Standing/walking for long periods of time
• Willingness to work long hours and weekends as necessary to accommodate manufacturing and test campaigns