Data Engineer (Starlink)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace company is seeking a Data Engineer to develop strategies and tools for the innovative Starlink program. This role entails working with robust datasets and requires expertise in software engineering and data analytics. The successful candidate will contribute to the unprecedented growth of satellite communication technology, enhancing user experience for millions globally.

Benefits

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

3 weeks of paid vacation

10 or more paid holidays

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Qualifications

• 1+ years of professional data/software engineering experience.
• Development experience in object-oriented programming languages (C, C++, Python).
• Professional experience in analytics, data science, or machine learning preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain mission-critical infrastructure for the Starlink program.
• Automate metrics aggregation and detect application issues.
• Conduct technical investigations on application-level issues.

Skills

Data Analytics

Programming

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, physics, mathematics, or a STEM discipline

Tools

Spark

Presto

Flink

Snowflake

Kubernetes

Job description

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 ofenabling human life on Mars.

At SpaceX, we’re leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to 6M+ users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact and are looking for best-in-class engineers to help maximize Starlink’s utility for communities and businesses around the globe. As a Data Engineer, you will be responsible for developing the strategy, key metrics, tools, software services, and processes for assessing how well key aspects of Starlink are scaling and how effective the Starlink Network is itself, in serving millions of users around the globe. You will work with operators, subsystem responsible engineers, software engineers, and network engineers inside the Starlink organization as well as key contacts with various major external partners to help ensure the growth of this program.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Build and maintain mission-critical infrastructure, tools, processes, and custom software to objectively assess growth areas for the Starlink program
• Automate the aggregation of metrics and detection of widespread application issues across Starlink
• Establish and maintain relationships with key third-party application/content owners
• Lead technical investigations about chronic application-level issues
• Build ground-based software systems that ingest, transform, and store data
• Apply data analytics, models, and techniques to data products created by space vehicles
• Create catalogs of data and tools that can be used by you and other teams to perform analytics
• Fuse data from multiple sources to create usable information

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, physics, mathematics, or a STEM discipline
• 1+ years of professional data/software engineering experience (internship experience is applicable)
• Development experience in an object-oriented programming language (i.e. C, C++, Python)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Professional experience in analytics, data science, or machine learning
• Experience using Spark, Presto, Flink, or Snowflake
• Experience building solutions with Parquet, or similar storage formats
• Knowledge of Kubernetes
• Experience building solutions with in-stream data processing of structured and semi-structured data
• Experience building predictive models and machine learning pipelines (clustering analysis, prediction, anomaly detection)
• Experience in custom ETL design, implementation, and maintenance
• Experience handling large (TB+) datasets
• Experience with developing and deploying tools used for data analysis
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment that includes working with changing needs and requirements
• Ability to take on projects that require taking initiative and developing new expertise

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:

Data Engineer/Engineer I: $122,500.00 - $145,000.00/per year

Data Engineer/Engineer II: $140,000.00 - $170,000.00/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.

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be 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 reach out [e-mail] .

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at SpaceX? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

First Name *

Last Name *

Preferred First Name

Email *

Phone *

Resume/CV *

Enter manually

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

School * Select...

Degree * Select...

Select...

LinkedIn Profile

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

How did you hear about this job? *

If event or other, please specify below.

Please specify

GPA (Undergraduate) * Select...

Please convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale. Select "Not applicable/Do not recall" if you do not have or do not remember your undergraduate GPA.

GPA (Graduate) * Select...

Please convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale. Select "Not applicable/Do not recall" if you do not have or do not remember your graduate GPA.

GPA (Doctorate) * Select...

Please convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale. Select "Not applicable/Do not recall" if you do not have or do not remember your doctorate GPA.

SAT Score * Select...

ACT Score * Select...

GRE Score * Select...

Active Security Clearance(s) * Select...

SpaceX Employment History * Select...

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States? * Select...

Select...

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 ITARhere .

If (f) Other, please explain:

Can you perform all of the essential functions of this role with or without reasonable accommodations? * Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in SpaceX’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305

Page 1 of 1

OMB Control Number 1250-0005

Expires 04/30/2026

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp .

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
• Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
• Blind or low vision
• Cancer (past or present)
• Cardiovascular or heart disease
• Celiac disease
• Cerebral palsy
• Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
• Diabetes
• Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
• Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
• Intellectual or developmental disability
• Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
• Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
• Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
• Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
• Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
• Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
• Short stature (dwarfism)
• Traumatic brain injury

Disability Status Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.