Materials R&D Technician - Level 4/5

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 - LEVEL 4/5 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