Materials Lab Technician

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.

MATERIALS LAB TECHNICIAN  

As SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary, maintaining and increasing our launch capabilities and cadence at Cape Canaveral has become critical. We are looking for a highly motivated technician to join the Cape Canaveral materials engineering team in a laboratory-based role performing multi-disciplinary materials characterization testing. The successful candidate will be a key team member focused on daily lab operations to support material & process developments, failure investigations, process control validation, and qualifications. A basic understanding of materials science and laboratory practices is strongly preferred. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Develop operational proficiency of analytical instruments in the Cape Canaveral materials lab to support characterization testing of metallic and non-metallic materials 
• Perform sample preparation including sectioning, epoxy mounting, mechanical polishing, chemical etching, and machining as required for metallographic, mechanical, and analytical testing 
• Operate and maintain instrumentation including SEM/EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, and XRF 
• Maintain lab supplies, raw materials, solvents, and cleanliness/organization of the lab area 
• Summarize data and document results in an organized and thorough manner for engineering review, maintaining accurate records in accordance with quality and traceability requirements 
• Support material identification and qualification, failure investigations, and process control validation activities as needed 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:  

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate 
• 1+ years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing or laboratory environment 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:  

• Ability to learn and retain scientific concepts 
• Understanding of safe work practices in an environment with furnaces, saws, solvents, acids/bases, and mechanical testing equipment 
• Familiarity running thermal, chemical, and mechanical characterization equipment such as SEM/EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, XRF, XRD, ICP, salt fog chambers, hardness testers, and tensile testing equipment 
• Some college experience in chemistry, physics, engineering, or materials science 
• Experience setting up and running tests and experiments 
• Ability to maintain rigorous attention to detail when executing test instructions 
• Strong computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), Atlassian JIRA, and work order systems 
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills to work closely with the engineering group 
• Ability to read and understand testing specifications 
• Strong organizational skills to keep work area tidy and organize workflow 
• Creative approach to problem solving, with willingness to learn and try new things 
• Experience using various types of hand tools and/or power tools 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:  

• Able to work off-shifts and available for overtime and weekends if needed 
• Able to wear appropriate PPE for lab and machine shop environment 
• Able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. unassisted. Lifting, standing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this position 
• Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral 

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.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and 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 View email address on click.appcast.io .