Satellite Payload Electronics Engineer — High-Impact Space

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) retirement plan

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

Paid parental leave

3 weeks vacation + 10 holidays

Job summary

SpaceX’s Starlink Payload Engineering team seeks an Electrical Design Engineer to own the hardware life‑cycle from concept to on‑orbit performance. You’ll design high‑reliability electronics for satellites and spacecraft, collaborating across mechanical, thermal, software, test, and RF/antenna disciplines.

Responsibilities include schematic capture, PCB layout oversight, hardware bring‑up, qualification, and production test, with opportunities to influence next generation hardware and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, or another STEM discipline
• 1+ years of experience design/analysis of circuits, electronic products, or hardware (internships, co‑ops and club teams can apply)
• 2+ years of electronic product experience designing hardware from concept through production
• 2+ years of experience designing and implementing mixed‑signal circuit boards from concept through production using processors, FPGAs, Ethernet, multi‑GHz Serdes, DRAM interfaces, I2C, SPI, RF signal chains, op‑amps, ADCs/DACs, and power supplies
• 1+ years of professional experience testing, troubleshooting, and debugging electronics
• Strong understanding of computers and programming languages (Python, C/C++)
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross‑functional role
• Experience working on space grade hardware

Responsibilities

• Rapidly develop high‑reliability electronics for satellites and spacecraft
• Drive system trades, requirements capture, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, hardware bring‑up, debugging, documentation, manufacturing, test, and on‑orbit performance of complex electrical designs
• Get hands‑on and support hardware through production, satellite integration, and flight
• Work closely with engineers from adjacent disciplines to deliver tightly integrated, high‑performance hardware
• Challenge assumptions, question requirements, learn from your mistakes, and approach problems with an open mind

Skills

Python

C/C++

Mixed-signal PCB design

PCB layout

Signal integrity analysis

RF/antenna

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Tools

FPGAs

Ethernet

DDR4/LPDDR5

I2C/SPI

SerDes

Job description

SpaceX’s Starlink Payload Engineering team seeks an Electrical Design Engineer to own the hardware life‑cycle from concept to on‑orbit performance. You’ll design high‑reliability electronics for satellites and spacecraft, collaborating across mechanical, thermal, software, test, and RF/antenna disciplines.

Responsibilities include schematic capture, PCB layout oversight, hardware bring‑up, qualification, and production test, with opportunities to influence next generation hardware and