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.
LEAD SOFTWARE ENGINEER, APPLICATION SOFTWARE (FINANCE)
The finance software team is the central nervous system of SpaceX’s financial operations – we build and maintain the mission-critical applications that power the finance department and ensure our financial systems stay accurate, reliable, and secure as we scale launch, manufacturing, Starlink, AI, and chip design.
Our team designs, owns, and evolves the systems that finance depends on every day – from core financial platforms to the integrations that connect those systems with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and other teams across the company. We work closely with finance stakeholders and partner software teams to ensure data flows cleanly end-to-end, controls stay strong, and our financial systems keep pace with crewed launches, Starship flights, Starlink growth, and everything else that moves the business forward.
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.
As a Lead Software Engineer on the Application Software team, you will have the opportunity to lead a team of highly skilled engineers both from a technical and personnel development perspective.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Directly manage a team of software engineers
- Own all aspects, including prioritization, implementation, and delivery, of a system roadmap
- Provide strong technical leadership with a focus on continuous improvement
- Manage and track multiple priorities while maintaining a focus towards common project goals
- Develop highly reliable and available software systems
- Maintain highest standards of excellence, never settle for the status quo
- Collaborate with other leaders in the department, and across the company, to ensure success for SpaceX
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science discipline and 3+ years of software development experience; OR 6+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree
- 1+ years of experience with object-oriented programming
- 1+ years of experience with leading software teams or projects
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Programming experience in Python, C#, .NET, Go, Java, or similar object-oriented language
- Front-end experience in Angular, React, or similar JavaScript framework
- Experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar database technologies
- 4+ years of experience building single page web applications
- Experience building or integrating with ERP, accounting, or financial planning systems
- Expertise in testing and infrastructure
- Experience with financial data integrity, auditability, and access controls (SOX-aware systems a plus)
- Domain expertise in any of the following:
- Financial systems (GL, AP, AR, close, or FP&A)
- ERP platforms (e.g. SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar)
- Financial integrations, data pipelines, or reporting platforms
- Strong desire to mentor and grow employees
- Able to collaborate across group and department lines with a wide range of engineers and managers, including networking and working in a team development environment
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- Must be willing to travel when needed
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
$165,000.00 - $265,000.00
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, engineering, math, or science discipline and 3+ years of software development experience; OR 6+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree
- 1+ years of experience with object-oriented programming
- 1+ years of experience with leading software teams or projects
- Must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- Must be willing to travel when needed
- Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations (ITAR requirement)
- Programming experience in Python, C#, .NET, Go, Java, or similar object-oriented language
- Front-end experience in Angular, React, or similar JavaScript framework
- Experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar database technologies
- 4+ years of experience building single page web applications
- Experience building or integrating with ERP, accounting, or financial planning systems
- Expertise in testing and infrastructure
- Experience with financial data integrity, auditability, and access controls (SOX-aware systems a plus)
- Domain expertise in financial systems (GL, AP, AR, close, or FP&A) or ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite)
- Strong desire to mentor and grow employees; excellent communication and teamwork skills
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.
