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.
APPLICATION SOFTWARE ENGINEER, DATA
The application software team is the central nervous system of SpaceX – we create mission critical applications that are used throughout SpaceX to accelerate launch vehicle production and flights as well as systems that allow Starlink to grow into a worldwide fast, reliable internet service.
We are looking for engineers who treat fellow teammates with fairness, respect, and support.
Our team is creating systems to analyze data from events like rocket launches or factory production workloads to always-on telemetry from the Starlink satellite constellation with point-in-time analysis, historical analysis and machine learning. We work closely with engineers throughout the company to create and update our systems with respect to crewed launches, Starship flights, changes to the Starlink network and much more.
Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, 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 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 and scalable data analysis libraries, systems, and data pipelines, to empower engineers across SpaceX
- Create new applications that improve how the business at SpaceX operates
- Collaborate with peers on architecture, design, and code reviews
- Build prototypes to prove out key design concepts and quantify technical constraints
- Own all aspects of software engineering and product development
- Deep dive into engineering problems and involve in corporation/coordination with domain experts
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, engineering, math, physics, or scientific discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree
- 1+ years of experience in full stack development, software engineering, data engineering, or data science
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Programming experience in Python, C#, or similar languages
- Experience working with data analysis libraries such as Python Pandas
- Experience with machine learning libraries like SciPi and PyTorch
- Experience with data exploration tools like Grafana, Jupyter Notebooks, Metabase, PowerBI or similar
- Experience with relational databases such as PostgreSQL
- Experience building web API’s and applications using Microsoft .NET
- Experience applying computer vision libraries such as OpenCV and Ultralytics to real-world problems
- Good understanding of version control, testing, continuous integration, build, deployment and monitoring
- Some front-end experience in Angular, React, or similar JavaScript framework
- Good understanding of statistics, machine learning algorithms and frameworks
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Willing to work extended hours and weekends when needed
- Willing to travel when needed
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, math, physics, or scientific discipline
- 2+ years of professional experience building software
- 1+ years of experience in full stack development, software engineering, data engineering, or data science
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.
