Materials R&D 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 R&D TECHNICIAN

This individual will be a key team member focusing on daily lab operations to support material & process developments, failure investigations, process control validation, and more. A basic understanding of material science fundamentals is preferred, though not required. Hands-on lab experience is required. The ideal candidate is highly skilled in setting up, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting laboratory equipment. Success in this role will require being hands-on, flexible, a quick learner, organized, detail-oriented, and having a collaborative, can-do attitude.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Operate mechanical test frames (static or hydraulic) and familiar with reporting on the core material testing data generated (UTS, YS, Modulus, etc.) OR operate characterization instruments (SDT, TGA, TMA, DMA, DSC, FTIR, SEM, etc.) and report associated material data produced 

• Perform mechanical testing (tensile, fatigue, compression, etc.) with metals, polymers, or composites OR characterization work scope (thermal testing, imaging, etc.) 

• Support maintenance and calibration needs of the lab instrumentation 

• Summarize data and document results in an organized and thorough manner; be prepared to provide a basic interpretation of results to requestors and flag off-nominal results for engineering review 

• Maintain safe and efficient operations through proper lab safety, cleanliness, and organization 

• Champion larger-scale lab improvement initiatives while continuing to complete day-to-day test requests 

• Promote 5S principles of organizing and sustaining a clean, tidy workspace 

• Work creatively and innovate to support team goals; always be prepared to challenge the status quo and develop unique solutions 

• Use calibrated tools to measure specimen geometry 

• Familiarize with relevant ASTM standards 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate

• 1+ years of hands-on materials testing experience in a laboratory setting

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Knowledge of safe work practices in a lab environment with solvents, acids/bases, thermal protection systems, polymers, etc. 

• Experience with thermal instruments (TGA, DMA, DSC, etc.) 

• Experience with mechanical test frames (Instron, MTS, etc.) 

• Understanding of basic materials science fundamentals 

• Positive attitude and experience working on a cross-functional team 

• Experience setting up and running tests and experiments 

• Maintaining rigorous attention to detail when executing test instructions 

• Strong computer skills including experien