About this role
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.
SR. OPERATIONS ENGINEER, LAUNCH STRATEGY (FALCON)
Launch is looking for an Operations Engineer to help lead and guide the organization and its partners by formalizing the future launch plan, defining operational targets, and helping teams execute. The perfect candidate combines operational analysis, industrial and process engineering, and business intelligence (data engineering, visualization, and analysis) in a fast-paced environment to help influence business decisions.
A key part of this role is supporting manifest management for Launch and ensuring alignment across core stakeholders. This person will work alongside core stakeholders, including recovery, pads, vehicle maintenance and operations, production, test, and support teams to achieve our Launch goals. Analytics, process engineering, and cross-functional alignment exist to make that plan executable and to hit our targets.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Support Launch manifest planning and change management. Help maintain a current picture of the launch plan, assess the effect of changes, and recommend decisions so the manifest stays achievable.
• Give daily visibility, weekly status, and monthly reviews of manifest and operations performance, including where the plan is at risk and what has to move.
• Translate the manifest into capacity, schedule, and resource demand for pads, recovery, vehicle maintenance and operations, production, and test. Close gaps with those teams before they become launch slips.
• Create feedback loops from manifest execution into requirements for minimal viable products and future proven-system designs.
• Build a deep understanding of the launch ecosystem (teams, hardware, production floor, environment, process, systems, tools, and constraints) and turn that into quantified, executable improvements.
• Integrate, organize, standardize, and relate operational data. Turn data into insights, reports, and alerts that support manifest and operational decisions.
• Develop and track key performance metrics, spot decision points, and recommend actions that optimize production and engineering against the manifest and launch targets.
• Read trends and operating metrics, brief leadership, set or adjust launch strategy and targets, and work with teams to act on what the data shows.
• Give day-to-day tactical recommendations on scheduling and execution in support of the manifest.
• Identify, develop, and implement process improvements. Run process engineering, value-stream mapping, and automation, and roll best practices out to internal and external stakeholders in priority order.
• Solve engineering problems aimed at safety, reliability, and rate, where those constrain