Full-Time
Senior Automation and Controls Engineer
Satellites, Starlink
Updated on 9/4/2026
SpaceX
10,001+ employees
Designs, manufactures, and launches rockets
Compensation Overview
$135k - $220k/yr
No H1B Sponsorship
Redmond, WA, USA
In Person
Company shuttles are available from select Seattle locations to the Redmond office Monday through Friday.
US Citizenship Required
Bachelor's
 Electrical Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- A bachelor's degree in an engineering, physics, or computer science discipline is required.
- At least 5 years of experience in industrial or factory automation design and implementation, or at least 5 years of experience designing and building electromechanical, robotic, or automated systems or products, is required.
- The ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones is required.
- Design, develop, and manage automation projects, including factory ideation, machine commissioning, proof of rate capability, and handoff to operational teams.
- Architect, write, and debug programmable logic controller code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable for high-volume manufacturing applications.
- Implement ANSI/RIA 15.06 and Occupational Safety and Health Administration-compliant systems for robots, gantries, conveyors, and other manufacturing equipment.
- Generate simple human-machine interface screens that make complex machines easy to understand, operate, and troubleshoot.
- Design electrical systems compliant with National Electrical Code, National Fire Protection Association, and UL 508A regulations.
- Create schedules and budgets and motivate the team to achieve them.
- Experience in a quick and iterative design and manufacturing role.
- The ability to solve complex problems with simple solutions during design and implementation.
- The ability to make plans and directional recommendations collaboratively and cross-functionally.
- The ability to engineer creative approaches while adhering to ANSI/RIA 15.06 and Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety requirements.
- Machine design focused on speed, reliability, maintainability, and safety.
- Motion system sizing and implementation involving gantries, robotics, conveyance, motors, actuators, pneumatics, hydraulics, sensor selection, and sensor integration.
- Fundamental structural hand calculations and the ability to design for strength and stiffness.
- Computer-aided design and product lifecycle management experience for detailed designs and drawing packages, preferably Siemens NX and Teamcenter, using geometric dimensioning and tolerancing.
- Familiarity with manufacturing processes and design for manufacturability.
- Exposure to production machinery, industrial sensors, and equipment such as motion systems, dispense systems, temperature controllers, laser distance sensors, injection molders, and die casters.
- Electrical sizing of motors, cables, circuit protection, variable frequency drives, motor starters, and other motion systems.
- Experience designing fail-safe electrical circuits using safety logic controllers and safety-rated relays.
- Hands-on experience troubleshooting industrial electrical systems with multimeters, oscilloscopes, and electromagnetic interference probes.
- Proficiency in understanding and creating electrical schematics and single-line diagrams, preferably using EPLAN.
- Experience with fieldbus networks, serial communication, and Ethernet communication.
- Hands-on experience designing and commissioning electrical panels and electromechanical systems with appropriate safety considerations.
- Knowledge of National Electrical Code, National Fire Protection Association, and UL 508A codes and control-system safety standards.
- Programmable logic controller programming, preferably Beckhoff TwinCAT structured text programming.
- Experience programming and implementing machine-safety software using safety programmable logic controllers.
- Experience with human-machine interface, supervisory control and data acquisition, Internet of Things, MQTT, OPC Unified Architecture, and Ignition systems for user-friendly navigation and machine health monitoring and control.
- Experience with fieldbus networking protocols, preferably EtherCAT, Profinet, Profisafe, and Ethernet/IP.
- Robotics programming experience, preferably with ABB.
- Experience applying industrial software to mechanical assemblies, electrical systems, sensors, pneumatics, and hydraulics, including safely checking out interdisciplinary systems before production implementation.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
SpaceX designs, builds, and launches rockets and spacecraft for government and commercial customers, using reusable first stages to cut costs. Its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy recover their boosters to enable rapid reuse, while Dragon transports cargo and crew to the International Space Station. Starlink operates a satellite internet constellation to provide global broadband coverage. It earns revenue from launches and merchandise, with the broader goal of making space travel cheaper and, over time, enabling human life on other planets and expanding global internet access.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Starbase, Texas
Founded
2002
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See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Starlink's Memphis discount added about 2,000 customers since late June 2026.
- UAE activation opens residential, business, government, maritime, and aviation sales immediately.
- Starship's Flight 14 filing targets first orbit from September 15, 2026, unlocking bigger satellites.
What critics are saying
- FAA still controls Starship Flight 14; any slip past September 2026 delays orbital expansion.
- Memphis data-center backlash triggered lawsuits and noise complaints, forcing turbine shutdowns through July 2027.
- Repeated Starship mishaps could ground the program and stall SpaceX's Mars narrative entirely.
What makes SpaceX unique
- Starlink launched in the UAE on September 3, 2026, expanding global reach.
- FAA released September 2, 2026 approvals for up to 25 annual Starship orbital launches.
- SpaceX owns rockets, spacecraft, satellites, and ground software, tightly integrating launch and connectivity.
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Benefits
Benefits and Perks - Our employees’ well-being is important to us and essential to our capacity to do extraordinary things. We offer a wide variety of programs to support the health, wellness, and financial security of our employees and their families.
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -3%2 year growth
↓ -3%Star link Internet service officially entered the United Arab Emirates. 03 Sep 2026 17:42 On September 3, SpaceX's satellite Internet service star chain announced that its high-speed, low latency Internet service has been officially launched in the United Arab Emirates.
Elon Musk acknowledged that his companies are shifting from promises to tangible deliverables, responding "True" to a post noting robotaxis, Optimus production, and infrastructure progress. Central to this is Terafab, a semiconductor facility in Texas backed by Tesla and SpaceX. The companies will invest $16.8 billion initially, employing at least 3,000 people. A May filing outlined potential expansion to $119 billion across additional phases. Intel will manufacture chips at Terafab for Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, producing components for Optimus robots, Cybercabs, and space-based data centres. ARK Invest estimates the project could eventually require $1 trillion in total investment. Tesla reported $143.3 million in 2025 revenue from SpaceX, primarily vehicle sales.
SpaceX stock could nearly double as its Nvidia-powered AI expansion unlocks new revenue opportunities, according to Oppenheimer. The firm raised its price target to $280 from $250, implying 99% upside, citing SpaceX's vertically integrated AI platform combining proprietary data, capital, and Nvidia GPUs. SpaceX's first Starmind AI1 satellite will pair 72 Rubin GPUs with 36 Vera CPUs. Oppenheimer said new Nvidia Rubin chips could achieve one-year payback amid strong AI compute demand. SpaceX expects to exceed 2 GW of compute by year-end 2026 and approach 10 GW by year-end 2027. Deepwater estimated SpaceX already contributes nearly $5 billion, or 5%, of Nvidia's quarterly revenue.
Starlink discount attracts 2,000 users in Memphis amid data center complaints. Starlink's 50% off deal seems appealing enough to convince some residents in the Memphis area to dump their traditional ISPs for the satellite internet service. Principal Reporter OUR EXPERT When he's not battling bugs and robots in Helldivers 2, Michael is reporting on AI, satellites, cybersecurity, PCs, and tech policy. Edited By: September 2, 2026 Discounted Starlink has been gaining traction in Memphis, Tennessee, according to SpaceX. On Wednesday, SpaceX's AI arm reported that about 2,000 customers in the greater Memphis and Southaven area had signed up for Starlink since late June. That's when the company began offering its satellite internet service at a bargain amid complaints about its noisy data center. The rare discount is still available for residents in Memphis and bordering Southaven, Mississippi, slashing the price of Starlink residential plans by 50% to $27.50 to $65 per month. You May Also Like Nvidia's RTX Spark Is Going to Be a Slow Burn Starlink managed to attract customers even though the region is fairly urban/suburban and already home to several traditional internet service providers. This includes AT&T and Xfinity, which offer faster fiber connections for as low as $35 or $40 per month. Starlink has been a more popular option for users in rural and remote areas who lack high-speed internet options. But it looks like the deep discount on SpaceX's satellite internet service has convinced some people to switch. "My Xfinity bill is outrageous. Looking for relief," wrote one user in a Reddit thread for Memphis residents in June. Others complained about reliability issues with their existing ISP or cited Xfinity's infamous 1.2TB monthly data cap. Another possibility is users adopting Starlink as a cheap backup internet solution. Still, other users on social media have described the Starlink discount as a "bribe." Satellite industry analyst Tim Farrar also noted that 2,000 is a relatively small number for the area; Memphis's population is 609,000. Globally, Starlink has over 13 million customers. SpaceX began offering the discount after the expansion of its data centers in the area faced protests and lawsuits over the jet-engine-like noise and gas turbine use at the site. "Communities in Memphis and North Mississippi aren't asking for discounted internet service - they're asking xAI to shut down its illegal, unpermitted power plant that continues to pump out staggering amounts of harmful pollution," the Southern Environmental Law Center previously told PCMag. Last month, SpaceX announced it would phase out the 69 mobile gas turbines at the site by July 2027. The plan is to replace the power generation with 41 permanent turbines authorized under a Clean Air Act permit, with the goal of reducing potential pollution and noise. "We're committed to responsibly powering our supercomputers while minimizing the impact on our surrounding communities," the company tweeted on Monday after powering down 11 of the mobile gas turbines. SpaceX also offers the same Starlink discount to residents along the coast of Louisiana, where the company plans to build a new spaceport that could also face concerns about environmental and noise impacts. About its expert. Michael Kan Principal Reporter Experience I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector. Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service. I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard. I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips. Areas of Expertise Latest By Michael Kan
SpaceX has reshuffled its data centre leadership after engineering concerns and reliability problems emerged at facilities in Tennessee and Mississippi, The Information reported. The shake-up comes as Elon Musk races to expand SpaceX's AI infrastructure business ahead of a 30 September capacity deadline tied to Google's $920 million-a-month compute deal. Jake Palmer, who led physical infrastructure for SpaceXAI, left in late July alongside several other data centre executives. Some facilities operated for months without backup cooling and power systems, the report said. Google agreed to pay SpaceX $920 million monthly at full capacity for access to roughly 110,000 Nvidia GPUs. SpaceX must deliver the committed GPUs by 30 September or face potential contract termination after a one-month grace period.