Software Engineer (Flight Reliability)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Three weeks of paid vacation

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP is seeking engineers in Hawthorne, California, to develop mission-critical software solutions. You'll lead the creation and enhancement of applications to support SpaceX operations and maintain its launch success. The role requires a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in software development, with a focus on collaborative problem-solving in a high-impact environment. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits are available, including paid vacation and medical coverage.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or scientific discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 1+ years of experience in full stack development.
• Strong programming skills in Python, C#.NET, Go, or Java.

Responsibilities

• Develop highly reliable software solutions for SpaceX.
• Build prototypes to test key design concepts.
• Manage software engineering and product development.

Skills

Software development

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Full stack development

Programming in Python

Experience with Docker

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Tools

PostgreSQL

SQL Server

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.

The Flight Reliability software team creates mission critical applications that are used throughout SpaceX to accelerate launch vehicle production and flight as well as systems that allow Starlink to grow into a worldwide fast, reliable Internet service. We are looking for engineers to help SpaceX maintain its incredible launch record.

Our team is currently creating and evolving systems to manage engineering changes and mitigate risks affecting SpaceX’s fleet of vehicles, from Falcon and Starship to Starlink and Dragon. We are expanding application features to enable SpaceX engineers to continually improve our vehicles while maintaining reliability. We are also building Agentic AI systems to further streamline operations.

Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, respectful, collaborative engineers who love solving problems and want to make an impact on a super inspiring mission. You will have full ownership of challenging problems, working with a team of enthusiastic engineers with diverse perspectives to design and produce solutions that enable SpaceX to move towards our goals at a rapid pace. The success of the missions at SpaceX depends on the software that you and your team produce.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop highly reliable software solutions that are used across SpaceX
• Create new applications that improve how SpaceX operates
• Build prototypes to prove out key design concepts and quantify technical constraints
• Own all aspects of software engineering and product development
• Deep dive into your users’ problems to find and create efficient solutions
• Bring your voice to the table in team collaborations on architecture, design, and code reviews

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or scientific discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree
• 1+ years of experience in full stack development

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Programming experience in Python, C#.NET, Go, Scala, Java, or similar object-oriented language
• 1+ years of rigorous experience building single page web applications
• Experience with version control, continuous integration, and continuous delivery concepts
• Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment, and monitoring
• Expertise in profiling and improving application performance
• Experience designing and deploying agentic AI systems, including LLM prompting, context retrieval, evaluation, and monitoring
• Production experience with Docker
• Database experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar database technologies

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• You may be asked to work extended hours/weekends dependent on launch cadence
• This role requires you to be onsite. Remote and/or hybrid work will not be considered

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay range:

• Level I: $125,000.00 - $145,000.00 per year
• Level II: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00 per year

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.

EXPORT REGULATIONS AND AUTHORIZATIONS

• 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.

EEO Statement

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 affirmative action plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].