10 SpaceX Starship engineering leaders
Senior Director, Starship Engineering, Director, Starship Engineering and Director, Starship Launch Engineering are among the current titles of these SpaceX Starship engineering leaders, who also include directors of Starship propulsion, electronics and offshore engineering. A reader can learn how Starship engineering leaders work at SpaceX from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Brent Luo
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Offshore Engineering · SpaceX
Brent Luo has been Director, Starship Offshore Engineering at SpaceX since October 2021, based in Cape Canaveral, Florida. At SpaceX, Brent Luo was also Senior Manager, Launch Engineering from 2019 to 2021, Dragon Launch Operations Manager from 2017 to 2019 and Senior Test Engineer from 2012 to 2017.
Charles Cox
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Starship Engineering · SpaceX
Charles Cox has been Senior Director, Starship Engineering at SpaceX since August 2026 and also lists Director, Super Heavy Propulsion Systems since December 2023, based in Brownsville, Texas. At SpaceX, Charles Cox was also Senior Manager, Starship Propulsion Systems from 2021 to 2023, Manager, Starship Propulsion Systems from 2020 to 2021 and Lead Engineer, Starship Propulsion Systems from 2019 to 2020.
Cory Stuffelbeam
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Engineering · SpaceX
Cory Stuffelbeam has been Director, Starship Engineering at SpaceX since December 2025, based in Brownsville, Texas. At SpaceX, Cory Stuffelbeam was also Sr. Manager, Starship Engineering from 2024 to 2025, Manager, Starship Engineering from 2021 to 2024 and Lead Build Engineer - Starship from 2020 to 2021.
Don Mills
LinkedInExperience: Former Director, Starship Launch Engineering · SpaceX
Don Mills is a former Director, Starship Launch Engineering at SpaceX, holding the role from April 2025 to January 2026, based in Rockledge, Florida. At SpaceX, Don Mills was also Director - Launch Build Reliability from 2024 to 2025 and Manager, Spacecraft Integration - Dragon Operations from 2021 to 2024.
Houman Shokraneh
LinkedInExperience: Director - Starship Propulsion Systems Engineering · SpaceX
Houman Shokraneh has been Director - Starship Propulsion Systems Engineering at SpaceX since April 2024, based in Redondo Beach, California. At SpaceX, Houman Shokraneh was also Director of Turbomachinery from 2021 to 2024 and Sr. Turbomachinery Engineer - Raptor Engine from 2017 to 2021, and was Director of Engineering at L.A. Turbine (LAT), A Chart Industries Company from 2011 to 2017.
Josh Salazar
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Electronics · SpaceX
Josh Salazar has been Director, Starship Electronics at SpaceX since May 2023, based in the Los Angeles area, and was Director, Starlink Engineering at SpaceX from 2022 to 2023. At SpaceX, Josh Salazar was also Senior Manager, Hardware Development from 2020 to 2022 and Manager, Hardware Development from 2018 to 2020.
Justin Thompson
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Launch Engineering · SpaceX
Justin Thompson has been Director, Starship Launch Engineering at SpaceX since November 2022, based in Austin, Texas. At SpaceX, Justin Thompson was also Senior Manager, Starship Offshore Engineering from 2021 to 2022, Senior Manager, Launch Engineering from 2020 to 2021 and Manager, Dragon Launch Operations from 2017 to 2020.
Shana Diez
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Engineering · SpaceX
Shana Diez has been Director, Starship Engineering at SpaceX since October 2020, based in Brownsville, Texas. At SpaceX, Shana Diez was also Principal Engineer in 2020, Director, Change Engineering from 2017 to 2020 and Director of Build Reliability from 2015 to 2017.
Tim Southerton
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Launch Engineering · SpaceX
Tim Southerton has been Director, Starship Launch Engineering at SpaceX since April 2025, based in Brownsville, Texas. At SpaceX, Tim Southerton was also Sr. Manager from 2023 to 2025, Principal Engineer in 2023, Senior Test Equipment Engineer from 2018 to 2023 and Ground Support Equipment Engineer from 2014 to 2018.
Tyler Schlenker
LinkedInExperience: Director, Starship Engineering · SpaceX
Tyler Schlenker has been Director, Starship Engineering at SpaceX since November 2024, based in Manhattan Beach, California. At SpaceX, Tyler Schlenker was also Sr. Manager, Starship Engineering - Super Heavy Booster from 2022 to 2024, Manager, Starship Engineering from 2020 to 2022 and Manager, Structures Engineering from 2019 to 2020.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's part of the program, such as vehicle, propulsion, launch or offshore engineering, to the question you are bringing. Their earlier roles, at SpaceX and elsewhere, can help you find someone whose background is closest to your own problem.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What took up most of your time as a Starship engineering leader, and how did that change as your group grew?
- 02How do you balance speed and reliability when your engineers have to deliver on a tight schedule?
- 03What experience from your earlier roles turned out to matter most in leading Starship engineering, and what surprised you?
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About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.