Lead Avionics Test Engineer, Starshield

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Parental leave

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Lead Avionics Test Engineer for Starshield to drive complex test solutions for satellite hardware. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, develop reusable test software, and collaborate with design and manufacturing to validate flight systems both in orbit and on earth.

The role emphasizes leadership, hands-on testing, and the creation of scalable test infrastructure, with a focus on reliability and rapid design iteration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline (EE/physics or similar).
• 2+ years hands-on design/manufacturing with aerospace or similar assets.
• 1+ year prior leadership experience managing teams or projects.
• Strong communication skills and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and drive continuous improvement across test efforts.
• Manage projects, delegate tasks, and ensure timely delivery.
• Define goals, develop standardized test processes, and enable scalable test systems.
• Develop modular Python software to automate manufacturing tests.
• Collaborate with design/manufacturing to validate flight hardware.
• Maintain tests supporting rapid design iteration of hardware/software.

Skills

Electrical systems

Team leadership

Python

Communication

Computer networks

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering / physics or related field

2+ years aerospace/vehicle payload experience

1+ year leadership experience

Tools

Python

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Lead Avionics Test Engineer for Starshield to drive complex test solutions for satellite hardware. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, develop reusable test software, and collaborate with design and manufacturing to validate flight systems both in orbit and on earth.

The role emphasizes leadership, hands-on testing, and the creation of scalable test infrastructure, with a focus on reliability and rapid design iteration.