Space Operations Software Engineer

Starlink; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision & dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off & holidays

Employee stock purchase plan

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Space Operations Software Engineer to build tools and interfaces that enable real-time spacecraft operations. You will develop reliable software, create new applications, and prototype designs to accelerate human spaceflight.

You will own software engineering tasks, collaborate across teams, and potentially operate console mission control for human and cargo missions, with travel to multiple SpaceX sites as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific discipline or 2+ years of software development experience
• 1+ years of full stack development experience

Responsibilities

• Develop highly reliable software solutions used across SpaceX
• Create new applications to improve operations
• Build prototypes to validate concepts and constraints
• Own all aspects of software engineering and product development
• Deep dive into user problems to craft efficient solutions
• Collaborate on architecture, design and code reviews
• Operate spacecraft mission control tools during missions

Skills

Full stack development

Python

C#/.NET

Scala

Java

Object-oriented programming

Single page applications

Version control

CI/CD concepts

Software design

Performance optimization

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science/engineering/mathematics or related field

2+ years of experience in lieu of degree

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Make

Bazel/Pants/Buck

Gradle

Pip

NPM

Terraform

Ansible

Puppet

Kafka

RabbitMQ

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.

SPACE OPERATIONS SOFTWARE ENGINEER

SpaceX Operations Engineers are dedicated to the innovation of spaceflight operations. The Operations Tools team is responsible for deleting friction in spacecraft operations, applying the Algorithm to operations processes, and developing tooling to fly SpaceX spacecraft. We create tools and interfaces to enable the Dragon real‑time operations teams to remotely fly spacecraft to the International Space Station and safely back to Earth, as well as remotely operate private passenger missions to Low Earth Orbit and beyond.

As a Space Operations Software Engineer you will become a SpaceX spacecraft operator, create tooling to enable the safe and efficient development and execution of spacecraft operations, and partner with peer teams to accelerate the advancement of human spaceflight.

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
• Become an on-console mission control operator to support human and cargo spaceflight missions

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, or a related 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, Scala, Java, or similar object-oriented language
• Programming experience integrating autonomous agents into customer workflows
• 1+ years of rigorous experience building single page web applications
• Experience with version control, continuous integration, and continuous delivery concepts
• Expertise in designing software systems
• Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment & monitoring
• Expertise in profiling and improving application performance
• Experience with build systems (Make, Bazel/Pants/Buck, Gradle) and package management tools (pip, npm)
• Experience with UNIX-like operating systems, and with infrastructure-as-code or configuration management tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or Puppet
• Experience working with stream processing (Kafka or similar) and messaging (RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, or similar)
• Production experience with Docker and Kubernetes
• Front-end experience in Angular, React, or similar JavaScript framework
• Database experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar database technologies

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be open to occasional travel to other SpaceX sites (California, Texas, and Florida)
• Must be open to working long hours and weekends to support mission operations and critical project timelines

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

• Pay Range - Level 1: $125,000.00 - $160,000.00
• Pay Range - 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 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.

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 Aff…? or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].