Project Engineer, Critical Lift & Transport (Starship)

The role

You will ensure all aspects of critical transport and lift operations for Starship and Super Heavy booster vehicles and ground support equipment are properly designed, reviewed, and carried out. You will develop solutions for launch pad operations, ground support equipment, transportation, and production.

What you will do

• Plan, analyze, and execute critical lifts and heavy-haul transports for large-scale hardware.
• Develop critical lift plans, rigging designs, and transport configurations.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to assess hardware mass properties and load paths.
• Select and specify equipment such as mobile/crawler cranes and self-propelled modular transporters.
• Conduct risk assessments, hazard analyses, and fatigue/stress analyses.
• Oversee on-site operations including pre-lift dry runs and real-time monitoring.
• Interface with external vendors for specialized equipment rentals and contracted operations.
• Maintain documentation including engineering calculations, drawings, and reports.
• Support off-hour operations including real-time troubleshooting.
• Represent SpaceX by presenting certification packages and engineering data to US government agencies.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience working with mechanical and structural hardware.
• Must be willing to work weekends and night shifts as needed.
• Must be willing to travel to other launch sites up to 25%.
• Lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required.

Nice to have

• 1+ years of experience with crane lifting, rigging, or transport operations.
• Experience prioritizing and executing tasks in high-pressure, fast-paced industrial environments while operating with or around hazardous systems.
• Experience using SOLIDWORKS, Siemens NX, or similar CAD software.
• Proficiency in engineering analysis software (e.g., ANSYS, FEMAP or similar finite element analysis software).
• Strong understanding of mechanics, including statics, dynamics, materials science, and failure modes.
• Familiarity with relevant lifting standards and regulations.
• Expertise in specialized equipment like crawler cranes, all-terrain cranes, SPMTs, jacks, and gantries.
• Experience reviewing data from anomalies and identifying root cause.
• Professional certifications such as crane operator + rigger (NCCCO + NCCER) or Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure, fast paced environment.

Before you apply

• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful, permanent resident, Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from

About the company

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. The company is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars.