Build Reliability Engineer (Launch)

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. BUILD RELIABILITY ENGINEER The Build Reliability Engineer will ensure the reliability of flight components and assemblies. This individual will evaluate product and process output data to drive improvements in manufacturing quality, and actively represent quality objectives in design and development teams. RESPONSIBILITIES DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURE

• Participate in Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) / Critical Design Reviews (CDR) to ensure design for quality (DFQ), design for manufacturability (DFM), risk quantification and mitigation, and that appropriate test validation methods and inspection techniques, including nondestructive evaluation methods, have been considered.

• Hands-on development of design for manufacturability through ensuring identification of key characteristics, prototype testing for manufacturability, First Article and Detailed Inspection planning, evaluation of previous non-conformances and lessons learned, and other manufacturing and quality tools as required. INSPECTION AND TEST PROCESS

• Lead inspection planning for new products through identification of features and gages, and integration with planned operations.
• Design or procures new measurement methods as required and integrates with existing processes.
• Validate new and existing measurement and tests methods using process capability and measurement systems analysis (MSA) statistical tools. Proposes solutions to remove the need to verify product conformance through measurement, e.g. poka yoke.

• Work with Production Quality inspectors to understand inspections with subjective criteria or those that need improvement. FIRST BUILD REVIEWS AND WALKDOWNS

• Co-ordinate, schedule and facilitate objective First Build Reviews to ensure transparency of design intent, design requirements, design and manufacturing risks, and manufacturability of design.
• Develop and maintain engineering walkdown criteria for major product milestones to provide clear guidance to Production on engineering intent and acceptance criteria.

• Identify photo closeout requirements for complete as-built documentation. EVALUATE AND ANALYZE PRODUCTION QUALITY LANDSCAPE

• Use data to make landscape transparent and drive project prioritization. Responsible for ensuring that issues related to product reliability are primary focus.
• Drive achievement of quality targets through a review hierarchy with appropriate levels of management.

• Ensure controls in place to prevent reoccurrence. ROOT CAUSE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION INVESTIGATIONS

• Lead, facilitate, and participate in root cause investigations in their respective area.
• Deep dive using appropriate quality or analysis tools as required.
• Ensure documentation of cause and corrective action is captured appropriately.

• Ensure appropriate actions to prevent recurrence. CONTAINMENT

• Lead activity to support containment of all suspect product.
• Provide guidance to quality inspectors, techs, and shop supervisors to assist in quarantining of all suspect product.

• Communicate status of evaluation and disposition to production leadership on a regular basis. ISSUE TICKET REVIEW/AUDIT/CLOSURE

• Support review of all issue tickets in respective area.
• Ensure rationale and documentation of design deviation is captured.

• Lead and coordinate the management of non-conforming hardware. REVIEW OF ENGINEERING MASTERS (EM), WORK ORDER (WO) INSTRUCTIONS AND DRAWINGS

• Review and approve Engineering Orders (EO’s), Engineering Masters (EM’s), Work Orders (WO’s), specifications, and product introduction and build documentation for completeness, accuracy, regulatory compliance, and quality objectives.
• Validate that drawing captures all requirements needed to build and inspect hardware.

• Develop Inspection plans and modify as required for process or design changes. Ensure inspection/test criteria are objective with clear pass/fail criteria. PRODUCTION PROCESS AUDIT/IMPROVEMENT

• Assess new processes for safety and product risks.
• Ensure adherence to QMS policy and procedures within their work center.
• Develop criteria and builds audits to identify process weaknesses.

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, manufacturing, mechanical or material sciences engineering

• Minimum 2 years in a quality, manufacturing, or design engineering role PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience supporting production of complex electro-mechanical, mechanical, or composites systems in high volume work centers and/or during production ramp-up.
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Metrology, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Control Plans, and various problem solving approaches.

• Dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work extended hours, weekends, and offsite as required. Some travel may be required. ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.