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.
PCB DESIGNER (STARLINK)
SpaceX is leveraging its experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to 7M+ users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact. As we continue to upgrade and expand the constellation, we’re looking for best-in-class engineers to join the team.
As a PCB Designer at SpaceX, you’ll be responsible for creating the layout for all our in-house board designs. You’re not just connecting the dots. Here you’ll partner closely with Hardware Development Engineers as they develop their schematics, providing your expertise and recommendations at each design review, and iterating your designs to come up with the best possible solutions. You’ll contribute to a variety of design mixes from radio phased arrays to solar power converters and more.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Determine layer stackup, perform component package selection, component placement, routing feasibility studies, and signal routing of digital, analog, RF, and power conversion of printed circuit boards (PCB)
- Library creation and maintenance
- Create and release documentation for fabrication of PCBs
- Collaborate with internal teams and PCB vendors to continually improve design rules, constraints and design for test and manufacture guidelines
- Utilize PCB design tools, maintain and evaluate new tools, and train team members to use tools
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and 1+ years of professional experience with PCB layout OR 3+ years of professional experience with PCB layout in lieu of a degree (internships and club/project work applies)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- 2+ years of experience with PCB layout and routing in one or all of the following areas: modern passive and active electronics components, surface-mount, RF components, ball-grid array and similar fine pitch, or high pin density components
- 1+ years of experience with ECAD libraries and library configuration management
- Demonstrated understanding of design for manufacturability, assembly, and test
- Experience with Mentor Xpedition and/or Altium Designer (Mentor Xpedition preferred)
- Experience with layout of mixed analog and digital designs, high speed buses, FPGA, DRAM and CPU designs, power supplies, DC-DC converters, transmission lines, impedance-controlled traces and power traces
- Experience with MIL-STD, commercial and IPC standards and design
- Experience monitoring industry-wide parts
- Ability to visualize component placement and interconnectivity
- Experience with scripting and automation
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with others
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed for mission-critical deadlines
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 Electrical Engineering and 1+ years professional PCB layout experience OR 3+ years professional PCB layout experience in lieu of degree
- Ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed for mission-critical deadlines
- ITAR eligibility: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible for required State Department authorizations
- 2+ years PCB layout and routing experience with modern passive/active components, surface-mount, RF components, fine-pitch BGA, or high pin density parts
- 1+ years experience with ECAD libraries and library configuration management
- Understanding of design for manufacturability, assembly, and test
- Experience with Mentor Xpedition and/or Altium Designer (Mentor Xpedition preferred)
- Experience with mixed analog/digital layouts, high-speed buses, FPGA, DRAM, CPU designs, power supplies, DC-DC converters, transmission lines, and impedance-controlled traces
- Experience with MIL-STD, commercial and IPC standards and design
- Experience monitoring industry-wide parts and component availability
- Experience with scripting and automation for PCB design tasks
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams
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
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.
