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.
MACHINE LEARNING ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)
Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.
The Starshield data team is building highly reliable processing systems for earth observation data captured by Starshield satellites. We're building mission critical models and data processing software in service of constellation efficiency and derived information quality. We're building for national security. Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here-- we want our engineers to bring fresh ideas from all areas. We look for engineers who love solving problems and seek to make an impact on an inspiring mission. As we expand this team, we're looking for versatile, motivated, and collaborative engineers.
Our team is involved in designing the space information systems at every phase of development. We build tools that enable us to work more efficiently, and that help us build software systems that are secure, reliable, and autonomous. Our machine learning engineers are responsible for the life cycle of the software they create, including development, testing, and operational support.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop novel geospatial data processing models to extract information from raw and partially processed sensor data
- Create highly reliable software and machine learning systems that task remote sensor payloads on hundreds of satellites in low earth orbit and process the collected information
- See your modeling work and software through from start-to-finish: from figuring out the core needs to prototyping, developing, and testing; to production rollout and beyond
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or scientific discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a degree
- 1+ years of experience in applied machine learning engineering, full stack development, and data science
- 1+ years of development experience in C, C++, or Python experience
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Experience applying modern computer vision algorithms at scale
- Experience with software that has been used in real-world applications and projects
- Experience with AWS or building inside of cloud environments
- Experience with developing within Linux server environments, SSH, scripting, and configuration
- Experience with Kubernetes or similar container orchestration frameworks
- Experience with PostgreSQL or implementing highly performant databases
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Note that an active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Machine Learning Engineer/Level I: $120,000.00 - $145,000.00/per year
Machine Learning Engineer/Level II: $140,000.00 - $170,000.00/per year
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, stock options, 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].
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
Similar Jobs
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.
