
Supplier Development Engineer, Materials & Special Processes (Falcon & Dragon)
SpaceX · Hawthorne, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $100k–$118k
- Travel
- 50%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 1+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level quality role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Hawthorne, CA.
- They ask for
- 1+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Root cause, PPAP, GD&T, DOE
- Base pay
- $100k–$118k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage · about 50% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $101k–$149k. This one lists $100k–$118k.
Median of the low and high ends of 84 live postings that list pay, out of 179 quality engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 178 other live quality postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 13% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (1+ vs 5+)
Typical $100k–$149k, from 81 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 78%
- FMEA 56%
- ✓ Supplier quality 49%
- AS9100 44%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 44%
- ISO 9001 40%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Painting / coating, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at SpaceX
We found 7 people at this company and state: 5 in this kind of role, 2 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Alina → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- The posting says about 50% travel. Between which sites?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: SpaceX in Hawthorne
66 other open roles at this site · 7 people we found in quality roles at SpaceX.
- Lead Hardware Reliability Engineer (Starshield) · Reliability · Manager
- Lead Operations Engineer · Production · Manager
- Environmental & Thermal Control Engineer (Dragon) · Controls
- Supplier Quality Specialist (Starship Supply Chain) · Quality · Specialist
- Manufacturing Engineer (Raptor Final Assembly & Tube Shop) · Manufacturing
- Process Specialist, Vendor Management (Starlink) · Process · Specialist
Full description from SpaceXAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Act as the technical point of contact for outsourced specials processes and consumables such as paints, adhesives, and chemicals, solving emergent challenges at suppliers and mitigating risk to the manifest by addressing high-impact manufacturing and quality challenges
- ◆Review issues on assigned parts and solve to the root cause, implementing changes at the supplier, at SpaceX or both, as appropriate, drive further actions to closure, and re-source to new suppliers where appropriate
- ◆Create and disposition issue tickets where needed, working with engineering counterparts to implement, but not limited to, required re-work, repair, or use as-is disposition
- ◆Become thoroughly familiar with your assigned products and processes that make up the overall assembly and become the primary point of contact for supply chain related defects
- ◆Work with procurement to find exceptional suppliers and vet them appropriately for quality and ability to meet our aggressive takt times
- ◆Conduct design for manufacturing (DFM) reviews to ensure parts are manufacturable at early stages, preferably prior to sourcing
- ◆Own the new product introduction (NPI) process at a supplier for new parts, drawing changes, or when re-sourcing existing parts to a new supplier
- ◆Drive the production part approval process (PPAP) program to ensure stable supply, reduce inspection oversight, and improve overall delivery time
- ◆Demonstrate innovation, technical excellence, attention to detail, self-direction, and courage
- ◆Drive for results and customer satisfaction by collaborating with teams, leading projects, and continuously driving improvement in the supply base
- ◆Lead containment activities on assigned parts, working with cross-functional counterparts to agree on scope, path forward, and ultimate resolution
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
- ✓1+ years of experience in a manufacturing or process engineering role (including school projects, clubs, or internships)
- ✓Experience in special processes such as thin film coatings, thermal spray coatings, chemical processing, plating, thermal protection systems and/or similar products/processes
Preferred skills and experience
- ✓Experience with consumables such as paint, adhesives and other chemicals used in aerospace applications
- ✓Familiarity with laboratory testing related to consumables or special processes
- ✓Experience with interpreting engineering drawings and models; GD&T, etc.
- ✓Knowledge of supplier quality processes (production part approval process, advanced product quality planning, first article inspection reports, etc.)
- ✓Knowledge of statistical techniques and methods, e.g., design of experiments, Lean, Six Sigma, etc.
- ✓Disciplined approach to problem solving - 8D
- ✓Proficient in MS Office and Excel applications and report writing
- ✓Proficient in SQL
- ✓Knowledge of lean concepts
- ✓Experience with sharing information and influencing others; strong written and verbal communication skills, able to liaise cross functionally, internally and externally, make presentations to team members and management
Requirements
- ✓Ability to travel: up to 40-50% work week travel
- ✓Ability to work extended hours, some nights and/or weekends as needed to meet major milestones
- ✓This position is based in Hawthorne, CA and requires being onsite - remote work not considered
- ✓Valid driver’s license
requirements
of the law.
ITAR
Requirements
- ✓To conform to U.S. Government export regulati
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
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.
SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER, MATERIALS & SPECIAL PROCESSES (FALCON & DRAGON)
SpaceX demands a new type of supply chain. We require our suppliers to provide premium quality with rapidly evolving designs at increasingly ambitious volumes. We are actively looking for candidates who possess comprehensive knowledge of manufacturing and quality tools and have unrelenting motivation to enable suppliers to succeed. This position will support our Dragon and Falcon programs and requires a combination of proven leadership and technical capabilities.
This is a highly technical position that requires practical experience in process engineering and new product development to stabilized production for the special processes and consumables used in rockets and rocket engines. The ideal candidate will have a broad understanding of both aerospace consumables (paint, adhesives, and other chemicals) and special processes (thin film coatings, chemical processing, and plating) with the desire and capability to take on new challenges in unfamiliar areas to help enable our mission to Mars.
Pay Range
Level 1: $100,000.00 - $117,500.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 - $140,000.00
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use
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