Software Engineer, Test Infrastructure (Application Software)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive medical coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid vacation

Paid parental leave

Job summary

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Software Engineer for the test infrastructure team. You will design, develop, and maintain the in-house testing ecosystem that supports software and hardware validation across flight systems.

This high-impact role requires engaging across engineering groups to create scalable testing tools. Candidates should have proficiency in C/C++ and Python, with an emphasis on developing testing infrastructure. Additional perks include extensive medical coverage and stock options.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or scientific discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience building software.
• 1+ years of experience with C/C++.
• 1+ years of experience with Python.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the core test infrastructure framework and applications.
• Improve reliability, performance, and safety of test software and infrastructure.
• Work closely with flight software engineers and users to develop new features.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Telemetry-based software development

Testing

Continuous integration

Build systems

Docker

PostgreSQL

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or relevant field

Tools

Ansible

Puppet

Kubernetes

Make

Bazel

pip

npm

Job description

Software Engineer, Test Infrastructure (Application Software)

Hawthorne, CA

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is 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.

As a Software Engineer on the test infrastructure team, you will design, develop, and maintain SpaceX’s in-house testing ecosystem that powers software and hardware test and validation across all flight systems. You will build and evolve the core test infrastructure framework and supporting applications used for production testing, integration testing, and high‑fidelity simulations. The team is focused on building out SpaceXAI, improving SpaceX’s engineering capacity and capability through AI tooling.

This is a high‑impact role where you will work across engineering groups to create reliable, scalable, and performant testing tools that accelerate vehicle production and flight software. Our testing software is critical to mission success for all vehicle programs at SpaceX. SpaceX is looking for smart, motivated software engineers who enjoy taking on complex challenges, work well in dynamic environments, and care about software best practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the core test infrastructure framework and applications used across SpaceX
• Improve reliability, performance, and safety of test software and infrastructure
• Work closely with flight software engineers and users across the company to develop new features and improve user experiences
• Own all aspects of software engineering and product development for test infrastructure
• Deep dive into users’ problems to find and create efficient solutions

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 with C/C++
• 1+ years of experience with Python

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience developing telemetry‑based software
• Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment & monitoring
• Understanding of agentic workflows and utilizing AI to improve developer experience
• Expertise in profiling and improving application performance
• Experience with build systems (Make and Bazel preferred) and package management tools (pip, npm)
• Experience with UNIX‑like operating systems and tools like Ansible and Puppet for managing them
• Production experience with Docker, Containerd, LXC, and/or Kubernetes
• 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:

• Software Engineer/Level I: $125,000.00 – $150,000.00 per year
• Software Engineer/Level II: $145,000.00 – $175,000.00 per year

Additional benefits include stock options, long‑term incentives, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, 401(k) retirement plan, disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and other perks. Employees accrue paid vacation, paid holidays, and sick leave in accordance with company policy.

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.