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.

LEAD GROUND AVIONICS ENGINEER (STARSHIP AVIONICS)

The Starship Avionics ground systems team is responsible for extreme ownership of avionics ground support systems that interface directly with the Starship and Super Heavy vehicles. This includes the design, development, improvement, and troubleshooting of various ground-side avionics subsystems including vehicle-interfacing RF, power, network, and video in both the production and operations environments. As we accelerate build and launch cadence, this team will need to optimize the ground support systems for reliability and reusability while improving design, production, and operational efficiency by engaging with a cross-functional team of engineers. Come lead the team that drives a seamless interface between the vehicle and the ground and develops the infrastructure and processes necessary to operate Starship vehicles around the world.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Extreme owner of design, development, deployment, validation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of vehicle-interfacing electronics and electrical systems
• Triage, troubleshoot, root cause, and repair electrical hardware issues with aggressive schedules and continuous improvement
• Support vehicle production, pad, and flight operations as ground-side avionics subject matter expert, responsible for evaluating system health, resolving issues real time, and recommending path forward
• Lead a team of cross-disciplinary engineers including hiring and motivating talented engineers and technicians, mentoring, supporting team members during production and pad operations, and executive communication of vision, progress and high impact issues

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field, science, or math
• 2+ years of professional experience with electrical hardware design, analysis, or operations
• Experience leading teams, either functionally or as a leader of a project team

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Breadth of experience across various electrical technical fields including RF, digital, analog, and video
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and/or servicing electrical power distribution systems and/or networks
• 4+ years of professional experience with electrical hardware design, analysis, or operations
• Self-motivated with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere
• Competence with electrical test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, etc.)
• Writing software in Python or similar for analysis or data review

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones
• Position located in Starbase, TX. Travel to other SpaceX facilities may be intermittently required

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:  

Lead Ground Avionics Engineer (Starship Avionics)/Lead: $130,000.00 - $180,000.00/per year    
    
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, stock options, 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 & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation & will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Exempt employees are eligible for 5 days of sick leave per year.    

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

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 notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.