Propulsion Software Engineer (Falcon Engineering)

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); In loco; USD 125.000 - 195.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

SpaceX is seeking a Propulsion Software Engineer for Falcon Engineering in Hawthorne, CA. You will enable Falcon and Merlin engine reliability by building agentic AI systems, MCP servers, and data pipelines that process telemetry and design data for engineering insights.

You will lead automation tools, contribute to architecture reviews, and work with hardware teams to ensure high confidence in flight-critical environments through robust testing and end-to-end ownership.

Competenze

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or 4+ years of related experience.
• Experience with Python or C/C++ and automation tools or AI integrations.
• Hands-on experience with engines, fluid systems, or structural hardware.

Mansioni

• Partner with hardware teams to identify manual, repetitive work and scope automation.
• Build data pipelines processing telemetry, design data, configs, and test records.
• Develop agentic AI systems and multi-agent workflows on top of engineering data.
• Create internal dashboards showing mission status, open work, and data review results.
• Test and validate tools, including AI outputs against known-good results.
• Support anomaly resolution by collaborating with engineers across Falcon components.
• Lead architecture, design, and code reviews; improve interoperability across tools.
• Collaborate with teams to extend tooling and ensure flight-critical reliability.

Conoscenze

Python

C/C++

Automation tools/AI integrations

Engines & fluids hardware

Formazione

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or physics

Strumenti

Docker

Kubernetes

React/TypeScript

FastAPI/Flask

Git

CI/CD

PostgreSQL

REST APIs

Descrizione del lavoro

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.

PROPULSION SOFTWARE ENGINEER (FALCON ENGINEERING)

The Falcon Engineering team is dedicated to delivering Falcon and its payloads to orbit rapidly and reliably.

As a Propulsion Software Engineer, you enable the long-term success of Falcon and its Merlin engines, improve hardware reliability, and remove recurring, time-consuming work from engineers’ plates so they can focus on hard engineering. You do this by building agentic AI systems, MCP servers, RAG-based search, and traditional automation where it is the right solution. You own problems end-to-end: scoping the solution with the engineers who have the problem, rolling it out, measuring the time it saves, and maintaining it as the vehicle and processes evolve.

We are looking for engineers with hands-on hardware experience (engine test, fluid systems, or structures) who can code, so that the tools they build reflect how the hardware actually behaves and fails. Using that background, you will also support root cause analysis for anomaly resolution, providing data and model-driven insights to help operations and hardware teams with high-consequence decision making. With hundreds of Falcon launches and thousands of engine test operations, the work we do impacts both the hardware design process and the operation of every single mission and engine test.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Falcon and Merlin hardware engineering teams to identify manual, repetitive, and error-prone work and scope tools to automate it
• Build automation and data pipelines that process large volumes of engineering data, including telemetry, hardware design databases, configuration files, and manufacturing and test records, to streamline data review, flag anomalies, and surface insights
• Develop agentic AI systems, multi-agent workflows, and MCP servers on top of that data so engineers can query, analyze, and act on it across multiple internal systems
• Build internal web dashboards that give engineers a clear view of mission status, open work, and data review results
• Thoroughly test and validate all tools, including evaluating AI outputs against known-good results, so engineers can trust them in a flight-critical environment
• Support anomaly resolution by working directly with engineers on every Falcon sub-component to improve time-to-insight
• Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews
• Collaborate with engineers across the company to extend and improve interoperability among existing tools

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or physics; OR 4+ years of professional experience in hardware engineering or engineering automation in lieu of a degree
• 1+ years of software development experience in Python, C/C++, or similar, with a focus on automation tools or AI integrations (professional and personal projects are applicable)
• 1+ years of hands-on experience with engines, fluid systems, or structural hardware in design, test, or operations (professional, academic, and student team projects are applicable)

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Experience building agentic AI systems and multi-agent workflows, including prompt and context engineering, tool calling, MCP servers, and evaluating LLM outputs
• Comfort analyzing large time-series telemetry and sensor datasets in Python using pandas, NumPy, and SciPy, with a working knowledge of numerical methods and signal processing
• Strong SQL skills and experience with relational (PostgreSQL), non-relational, and vector databases, as well as integrating systems through REST APIs
• Proficiency developing on Linux with Git, automated testing, and CI/CD
• Familiarity deploying containerized applications using Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience building web dashboards, such as React/TypeScript frontends with FastAPI or Flask backends
• Hands-on experience testing liquid propellant rocket engines or working with pressurized fluid components such as valves, regulators, and pneumatic systems
• Familiarity with liquid propellant engine cycles, launch vehicle fluid systems, and launch vehicle structures
• Understanding of compressible and incompressible flow, thermodynamics, thermochemistry, mechanics, and materials
• Ability to read P&IDs and instrumentation drawings and relate them to vehicle telemetry
• Experience supporting integrated vehicle, pad, or launch operations

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range

Level 1: $125,000.00 - $160,000.00

Level 2: $145,000.00 - $195,000.00

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 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