Manufacturing Engineering Specialist (Starlink) - 2nd Shift
SpaceX · Bastrop, TX
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 10 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Bastrop, TX. Troubleshoot automated equipment and recurring line issues, and implement fixes with engineering and maintenance.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- 5S, SPC, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Tooling, MES
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Texas: typical posted base $79k–$132k.
Median of the low and high ends of 32 live postings that list pay, out of 145 manufacturing engineer openings in Texas, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Texas plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 144 other live manufacturing postings in Texas.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $79k–$132k, from 32 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 58%
- Root cause 51%
- Lean 39%
- ✓ New product launch 38%
- Automation 35%
- Six Sigma 28%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention 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 Manufacturing team at SpaceX
We found 1 person at this company and state: 1 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 Andres → (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?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 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 Bastrop
157 other open roles at this site · 1 person we found in manufacturing roles at SpaceX.
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- Lead Operations Engineer · Production · Manager
- Sr. Supplier Development Engineer (Starlink) · Quality · Senior
- Lead Production Technician, Solar Cells (Starlink) · Production · Technician
- PECVD Process Engineer, Solar Cells (Starlink) · Process
- Process Specialist, Vendor Management (Starlink) · Process · Specialist
Full description from SpaceXAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Troubleshoot automated equipment and recurring line issues, and implement fixes with engineering and maintenance
- ◆Triage non-conforming products and drive resolution and preventative actions
- ◆Identify continuous improvement opportunities for yield, performance, and cost
- ◆Update work instructions and train teammates on the standard process, rework, and equipment tasks
- ◆Perform process development and validation on new equipment alongside engineering
- ◆Define maintenance schedules and support activities
- ◆Drive area improvements involving layout, 5S, material flow, tooling, and operator safety
Qualifications
- ✓High school diploma or equivalency certificate and 2+ years of professional experience in a hands-on manufacturing environment; OR bachelor's degree in an engineering, math or science discipline
Preferred skills and experience
- ✓Associate or bachelor's degree in an engineering, math, or science discipline
- ✓Demonstrated experience working in a highly adaptive and iterative environment
- ✓Experience in a high-volume commercial manufacturing environment
- ✓Experience supporting new product introduction and the transition of products from development to volume production
- ✓Experience supporting process validation or process qualification on production hardware
- ✓Experience using production data or SPC to identify quality trends
- ✓Experience operating and troubleshooting automated production equipment, including HMI issues and basic electrical, pneumatic, or mechanical faults
- ✓Experience with electromechanical assembly or test on manual and automated processes
- ✓Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and recommend process or design improvements to engineering
- ✓Experience using MES to document defects and non-conforming material, and familiarity with ERP or MRP systems
- ✓Strong written and verbal communication, including updating work instructions and training others on the line
Requirements
- ✓Must be available one or more of the following shifts:
- ✓C shift, 5 pm - 5 am Sunday-Tuesday, every other Wednesday
- ✓D shift, 5 pm - 5 am Thursday-Saturday, every other Wednesday
- ✓Standing for long periods of time, climbing up and down ladders, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, and stretching may be required to perform the functions of this position
- ✓Able to lift up to 25lbs. unassisted
ITAR
Requirements
- ✓To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .
qualifications
and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com .
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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.
Manufacturing engineering specialist (starlink) - 2nd shift
At SpaceX we’re leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to millions of users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact and are looking for best-in-class engineers to help maximize Starlink’s utility for communities and businesses around the world.
The success of Starlink depends on the quality, reliability, cost, manufacturability, throughput, and security of the products that you deliver. If you seek a fast-paced, dynamic environment; if you thrive on solving difficult problems where resolutions have high impact; and if you love the challenge of building something from scratch, then this role will be an ideal next career step. We are looking for talented manufacturing specialists to help establish new manufacturing and test processes and support full-scale production for the user terminal (a high-volume manufactured product that consumers will have in their homes).