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, PCBA (STARLINK)
As a Software Engineer on the PCBA design and manufacturing team, you will be responsible for building and maintaining software that interfaces with manufacturing equipment on our production line, with the goal of making our PCBA manufacturing process faster and more reliable. This is a high-autonomy role that will require building close relationships with manufacturing staff to understand issues, and coming up with software solutions interfacing with APIs or hardware that may have little or no documentation or vendor support. We are looking for people who like to own a problem from start to finish in a high-responsibility and low-micromanagement environment!
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop highly reliable software solutions that are used across SpaceX production and engineering
- Create new applications that improve how SpaceX production operates
- Build prototypes to prove out key design concepts and quantify technical constraints
- Deep dive into users’ problems to find and create efficient solutions
- Integrate electronics design software to manufacturing equipment
- Display ownership throughout and following the release process for applications
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or STEM discipline
- 1+ years of experience in full stack software development (internship and/or project experience is acceptable)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Programming experience in C#.NET, Python, Go, Java or similar object-oriented language
- Experience with version control, continuous integration, and continuous delivery concepts
- Expertise in designing software systems
- Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment & monitoring
- Expertise in profiling and improving application performance
- Experience with build systems (Make, Bazel) and package management tools (pip, npm)
- Experience with UNIX-like operating systems
- Experience working with in-stream data processing using Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, or similar technologies
- Experience with Docker and Kubernetes
- Front-end experience in Angular, React, or similar JavaScript framework
- Database experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar database technologies
- Experience with enterprise grade ERP systems
- Experience integrating third-party industrial equipment (Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi, Fuji, Nordson, etc.)
- Experience integrating third-party CAD Software (NX, Altium, Xpedition, etc.)
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- This position is based in Redmond, WA (Seattle area), and requires being onsite full-time – hybrid and remote work will not be considered
Pay Range:
Level 1: $125,000.00 - $150,000.00
Level 2: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00
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 in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.
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 STEM discipline
- 1+ years of experience in full stack software development (internship and/or project experience acceptable)
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- Position based in Redmond, WA and requires being onsite full-time (no hybrid or remote)
- ITAR eligibility: U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible to obtain required Department of State authorizations
- Programming experience in C#.NET, Python, Go, Java or similar object-oriented language
- Experience with version control, continuous integration, and continuous delivery concepts
- Expertise in designing software systems; deep understanding of testing, CI, build, deployment, and monitoring
- Expertise in profiling and improving application performance
- Experience with build systems (Make, Bazel) and package management tools (pip, npm)
- Experience with UNIX-like operating systems
- Experience with in-stream data processing using Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, or similar
- Experience with Docker and Kubernetes
- Front-end experience in Angular, React, or similar JavaScript framework
- Database experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar
- Experience with enterprise-grade ERP systems
- Experience integrating third-party industrial equipment (Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi, Fuji, Nordson, etc.)
- Experience integrating third-party CAD software (NX, Altium, Xpedition, etc.)
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.
