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.
SOFTWARE ENGINEER, VEHICLE OPERATIONS (STARSHIELD)
Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.
As an engineer working on the Starshield GNC Software Operations team, you will write software responsible for facilitating highly reliable, available, and autonomous operations of the Starshield constellation that enable us and our vehicles to work more efficiently. In addition to developing software, you'll also be involved in day-to-day constellation performance monitoring and on-orbit investigations. This demands good systems knowledge of the holistic satellite network and the hardware that makes our vehicles work. Our software engineers work closely with a variety of other engineering disciplines in order to diagnose on orbit issues, determine suitable recovery procedures, and implement long term solutions. Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here, although an engineer with good systems intuition in addition to strong software skills will excel in this role. We look for engineers who love solving problems and seek to make an impact on an inspiring mission, bringing fresh ideas from all areas.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Level 1: $125,000.00 - $150,000.00
Level 2: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.
Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
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 [email protected].
Based on 7,962 disclosed Software salaries on RoleSuite, the role pays a median of $157K/year, with most offers between $123K and $199K (10th–90th percentile: $102K–$235K).
This posting lists $125K–$150K, below the $157K market median.
See the full Software salary breakdown →