Electrical Design Engineer (Falcon & Dragon Avionics)

InvestedintheMission; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term incentives

401(k) retirement plan

Medical, vision, dental coverage

Disability and life insurance

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation (3 weeks)

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking an Electrical Design Engineer for Falcon & Dragon Avionics to design new hardware and iterate on existing electronics across the product lifecycle. You will analyze, troubleshoot, and improve circuits, fixtures, and tooling to enhance reliability and manufacturability on spaceflight hardware.

The role emphasizes fast-paced, autonomous work in a multidisciplinary team, with opportunities to own complex schematics, layouts, and validation tests for flight hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering.
• 1+ years of experience in electronics hardware design (academic projects, internships, and professional experience all qualify).
• 1+ years of experience with electrical test equipment (e.g., multimeters, signal generators, oscilloscopes) to verify hardware functionality.

Responsibilities

• Design new hardware, redesign existing hardware, and modify PCBAs for reliability and manufacturability.
• Own avionics hardware across the product life cycle.
• Drive changes to electrical schematics and drawings to improve reliability and manufacturability.
• Perform root cause investigations on off-nominal behavior and mitigate risk.
• Derive engineering justification to resolve production issues across assembly, test, and integration.
• Design test setups and perform hardware validation via benchtop and environmental testing.

Skills

Analog circuits

Digital circuits

Mixed-signal design

Schematic capture

PCB layout

LTspice

SPI

I2C

CAN

Ethernet

RS422

Documentation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering

Tools

KiCad

Altium

Eagle

LTspice

SIMetrix

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 of enabling human life on Mars.

ELECTRICAL DESIGN ENGINEER (FALCON & DRAGON AVIONICS)

As an Electrical Engineer on the Falcon & Dragon Avionics Hardware Development team, you will have the unique opportunity to explore all areas of a product’s life cycle from development through production and launch by engaging in multiple disciplines with a focus on electronic design, reliability, and manufacturing. In addition to designing new hardware from scratch, you will be expected to analyze and troubleshoot electronic assemblies, define new processes, design circuits/fixtures/tools, and identify opportunities for improvement in both products and processes. You will have the opportunity to own a wide variety of components that enable SpaceX vehicles to provide the safest and most reliable access to space. Our fundamental goal is to allow humanity to explore the stars; with it comes an extreme responsibility to ensure the safety of the crew and payload.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design new hardware, redesign existing hardware, and perform modifications to PCBAs to improve their reliability and manufacturability or expand vehicle capabilities
• Provide extreme ownership of avionics hardware for flight across all areas of the product life cycle
• Drive changes to electrical schematics and mechanical drawings that improve reliability and manufacturability
• Perform root cause investigations to characterize off-nominal unit behavior and mitigate risk
• Derive engineering justification to resolve production issues throughout assembly, test, and vehicle integration
• Design test setups and execute hardware validation through benchtop and environmental testing

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering
• 1+ years of experience in electronics hardware design (academic projects, internships, and professional experience all qualify)
• 1+ years of experience with electrical test equipment (e.g., multimeters, signal generators, oscilloscopes) to verify hardware functionality

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Ability to design analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout software (KiCad, Altium, Eagle)
• Experience with electrical simulation software (LTspice, SIMetrix, or similar)
• Design for excellence (DFX), root cause, derating, and related analyses
• Knowledge of digital communications interfaces including SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet, and RS422
• Knowledge of common circuit blocks including filters, power supplies, and microcontrollers.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere
• Familiarity managing projects from start to finish
• Self-motivated with strong multi-tasking, organizational, communication, and documentation skills
• Creative problem solver capable of working within a multidisciplinary team

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Level 1: $105,000.00 - $140,000.00
Level 2: $120,000.00 - $170,000.00

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, 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 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.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• 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 Aff… or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].