Senior Automation & Controls Engineer — Starship Systems

Starlink; Florida; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Automation & Controls Engineer (Starship) to design, code, and validate control systems for the Starship launch facility at Cape Canaveral. You will work hands-on with electrical and control systems across launch operations, ensuring robust, scalable automation solutions.

The role requires 5+ years of experience in instrumentation power systems or PLCs, with expertise in Siemens TIA Portal, HMI/SCADA, and electrical panel design. Travel and shift flexibility are expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechatronics engineering, or other engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of experience with instrumentation power systems design, data acquisition systems, or programable controllers (internship/project experience qualifies)

Responsibilities

• Design and develop control systems for SpaceX launch operations.
• Architect, write, and debug PLC code, emphasizing organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable code for manufacturing applications.
• Design and implement the controls network infrastructure and interfaces to data acquisition systems trading cost, complexity and redundancy
• Design, operate, upgrade, and maintain SCADA infrastructure at launch and production sites
• Lay out new industrial electrical control panels that are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant and create electrical, pneumatic, and fluid schematics
• Manage electrical cabinet builds, field wiring, pneumatic and fluid plumbing
• Manage the checkouts and activation testing of new equipment
• Write robust and scalable procedures to activate technicians to quickly and reliably build and activate new control systems
• Provide hands on troubleshooting support for a variety of active and critical ground support equipment tooling
• Provide innovative solutions to special requirements and challenges faced by the team, which can range from integrating specialized equipment to challenging operating environment, packaging or loading

Skills

PLC programming

SCADA systems

Electrical drafting

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelors in electrical engineering

Mechatronics background

Tools

EPlan

Siemens TIA Portal

Ignition SCADA

Python

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Sr. Automation & Controls Engineer (Starship) to design, code, and validate control systems for the Starship launch facility at Cape Canaveral. You will work hands-on with electrical and control systems across launch operations, ensuring robust, scalable automation solutions.

The role requires 5+ years of experience in instrumentation power systems or PLCs, with expertise in Siemens TIA Portal, HMI/SCADA, and electrical panel design. Travel and shift flexibility are expected.