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.
SR. HARDWARE ENGINEER, GROUND SEGMENT
The SpaceX Ground Segment team is responsible for supporting a wide array of communications needs and day-of-launch activities from SpaceX mission control. They support and deploy our worldwide network of ground stations, and own all launch site and recovery RF communications and optical tracking for all real-time operations of Falcon and Dragon.
As a Sr. Hardware Engineer on the Ground Segment hardware team, you will engage in hardware design initiatives, travel to deploy, and own global ground station site roll-out plans with international partners to support both F9 and Dragon missions. You will be responsible for all phases of the ground station deployment from initial concept to final deployment. You will also work with multiple stakeholders to identify system requirements and interfaces to support ground station operations. We are looking for people who excel at solving complex problems, managing large projects, working effectively with internal and external partners, are ready to learn new things, and want to work in a dynamic, fast-paced, and collaborative environment to engineer solutions with real global impact.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design and build ground station communication systems through all stages of development (site survey, system design review, hardware selection, hardware integration, end-to-end testing and activation)
- Present engineering design reviews, as well as participate in proposal-writing efforts
- Work with engineers and technicians to deploy and maintain complete ground station systems to be mission-ready
- Work closely with the recovery team on building and maintaining SpaceX marine telemetry systems
- Interface with multiple disciplines including customers, mission management, avionics, RF, logistics, suppliers, and manufacturing.
- Troubleshoot issues on ground stations and production assemblies on an aggressive schedule.
- Lead the selection, integration, and maintenance of ground support rack hardware and software.
- Specify and drive creation of ground stations hardware-in-the-loop test systems to support software development and system verification and validation
- Oversee production, testing, quality control, and shipment logistics of ground station support hardware
- Work closely with software team to drive ground stations automation and monitoring
- Set up asset maintenance strategies using Risk Based and Reliability Centered Maintenance methodologies
- Maintain asset documentation and preventative maintenance plans
- Identify and maintain critical spare strategy for worldwide Ground Stations
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or mechanical engineering
- 5+ years of industry experience designing, implementing and testing system-level communication architectures
- 5+ years of hardware experience with spacecraft, ground stations, IT/networks, or other communication systems
- 5+ years of experience with RF system level design, link budget analysis (significant academic projects, internships, and traditional professional experience all qualify)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Strong RF System level experience
- Master’s degree or PhD in electrical engineering
- LEO, MEO, and/or lunar orbit ground station operations and engineering experience
- Experience in the development and installation of satellite tracking ground antennas and systems
- Experience in a ground station operations
- Knowledge of ground station equipment to include up and down converters, power amplifiers, receivers, and other antenna elements
- Experience with low-voltage power distribution, backup battery, generator systems, and international electrical standards
- Hands-on experience with lab instruments such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators
- Experience working with government organizations (USAF, NASA, FAA, FCC, NTIA, etc.)
- Experience with GNU Radio or similar signal processing libraries
- Experience developing tools in Python or Matlab
- Strong project management skills, detail oriented, organized, and able to demonstrate a high sense of urgency
- Mastery in the use of Visio or other CAD software to develop system schematics
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
- Must be willing to travel as required to domestic and international ground station sites
- Must be willing to support extended hours and weekends when necessary to support launch and critical project timelines
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Hardware Engineer/Senior: $130,000.00 - $200,000.00/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 & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation & will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Exempt employees are eligible for 5 days of sick leave per year.
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 notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.
Top Skills
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.
