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.
SOFTWARE ENGINEER (AI DATA ENGINEERING)
The AI Data Engineering team is more than just some products, our mission is to accelerate engineers across the company with AI driven tools, giving them more time to decide whether Starship is good for launch, a Starlink satellite is good to leave the factory, and the next design iteration works.
As part of the team, you will build software that turns flight, test, and factory data, into actionable decisions and insights into the hardware. You’ll own data pipelines, automation tools, and user-facing application that engineers rely on every day, and accelerate these workflows with AI.
We are looking for engineers who treat teammates with fairness, respect, and support. Aerospace experience is not required. You will have full ownership of hard production problems and will work with domain experts who use these tools on the critical path to flight, across all business verticals, from design to GNC to vehicle software engineers to flight operations.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop reliable, scalable pipelines, data analysis libraries, and services on vehicle telemetry and test data
- Build and improve user-facing analysis applications
- Prototype quickly (notebooks, reports, agents, computer vision, or APIs), then productionize what proves out — including video/inspection review where it saves engineering hours
- Own software from design through test, deploy, and operation
- Deep-dive with domain experts across avionics, GNC, propulsion, structures, and launch operations
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, engineering, math, physics, or a scientific discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree
- 1+ years of experience in software engineering, data engineering, or data science
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Programming experience in Python (C# or similar is a plus)
- Experience with data analysis libraries (pandas, NumPy, SciPy)
- Experience with machine learning libraries (PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar)
- Experience with data exploration tools (Grafana, Jupyter, Metabase, or similar)
- Experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL)
- Experience building APIs and internal web applications
- Experience applying computer vision (OpenCV, Ultralytics, or similar) to production video or image review
- Familiarity with HPC or batch compute (schedulers, containers, shared filesystems) — not required; we will teach the cluster
- Good understanding of version control, testing, CI, deploy, and monitoring
- Some front-end experience (React, Angular, or similar)
- Ability to communicate clearly with users and domain experts
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Position is based in Hawthorne, CA and is primarily on-site
- Willing to work extended hours and weekends when needed
- Willing to travel when needed
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Level 1: $125,000.00 - $160,000.00
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 Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [email protected].
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, engineering, mathematics, physics, or a scientific discipline, or 2+ years of professional software-building experience in lieu of a degree
- At least 1 year of experience in software engineering, data engineering, or data science
- Programming experience in Python
- Experience with data analysis libraries such as pandas, NumPy, or SciPy
- Experience with machine learning libraries such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Experience with data exploration tools such as Grafana, Jupyter, or Metabase
- Experience with PostgreSQL and large time-series or object/file datasets
- Experience building APIs and internal web applications
- Experience applying computer vision to production video or image review
- Familiarity with HPC or batch compute, including schedulers, containers, or shared filesystems
- Understanding of version control, testing, CI, deployment, and monitoring
- Front-end experience with React, Angular, or similar technologies
- Ability to communicate clearly with users and domain experts
- Must satisfy applicable ITAR employment authorization requirements
- Willingness to work primarily on-site in Hawthorne, California
- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends when needed
- Willingness to travel when needed
SpaceX Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SpaceX and has not been reviewed or approved by SpaceX.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants are a core part of total compensation, with periodic company-run tender offers that create liquidity before any public listing. These mechanisms can make the equity component feel materially valuable in practice.
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Healthcare Strength — The package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with on-site clinics and health resources at major sites. This breadth of coverage is presented as a strong element of the offering.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Major locations feature on-site amenities such as fitness facilities, food/coffee, clinics, and other conveniences. These lifestyle perks enhance day-to-day value alongside cash and equity.
SpaceX Insights
What We Do
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of making life multiplanetary. SpaceX has gained worldwide attention for a series of historic milestones. It is the only private company ever to return a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit, which it first accomplished in December 2010. The company made history again in May 2012 when its Dragon spacecraft attached to the International Space Station, exchanged cargo payloads, and returned safely to Earth — a technically challenging feat previously accomplished only by governments. Since then Dragon has delivered cargo to and from the space station multiple times, providing regular cargo resupply missions for NASA.
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