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.
STARLINK VISION AUTOMATION ENGINEER
As a member of the Starlink Tooling and Automation & Controls Engineering team you will work with a team of elite engineers to design, qualify and implement advanced vision systems and process controls tools that are critical to Starlink Satellite Constellation production.
- Work on high impact applications to increase quality and efficiency of our manufacturing lines and create the factory of the future for high volume, highly automated satellite production.
- Constantly raise the bar for tight process controls and contribute to an unstoppable team as driven as you are!
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and implement backbone vision software applications as a common platform to streamline deployment, management and scaling.
- Collaborate across teams (manufacturing, production, flight design, build reliability, supply chain) to identify opportunities, propose and implement action items to improve manufacturing processes in a data driven way.
- Develop and implement full-stack automated vision packages for robotic guidance, quality control and data collection for our manufacturing lines.
- Test, optimize and qualify vision systems to guarantee compliancy with production standards to meet takt and accuracy requirements.
- Own, maintain and upgrade existing systems to improve product quality and line efficiency.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering or other STEM field.
- 1+ years’ experience in the design and commissioning of automation and controls systems for manufacturing applications.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Proficiency with industrial machine vision software (Cognex Vision Pro preferred, Halcon & OpenCV acceptable) and integrated machine vision systems for industrial applications.
- C#, .NET, python, Structured Text and/or SQL experience.
- Hands-on experience with automated systems, motion platforms, system integration and vision in the loop for precision placement, sorting and quality control. Includes hardware design/fab/build, optical component selection, lighting techniques, software architecture and factory floor deployment.
- Experience applying statistical process control (SPC) and other statistical tools (descriptive, inferential, regression and correlation) to improve manufacturing processes.
- Hands-on experience on high-speed applications, large image formats and hyperspectral imaging.
- Knowledge of image processing on 2D and 3D spaces.
- Familiarity with field bus networks, serial communication and Ethernet communication.
- Exposure to a wide variety of production machinery and processes: dispense systems, pick and place, fastener installation, automated bonding techniques (thermo-compression, soldering, ultrasonic welding), high precision assembly lines such as SMT and medical devices.
- Exposure to different sensor signals (thermocouples, 4-20mA, 0-10V, IO-Link).
- PLC programming experience, preferably Beckhoff TwinCat 3.
- Experience solving complex problems with little to no supervision on schedule as an individual or as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Strong desire and ability to learn quickly, adapt and innovate.
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
- Experience in fast-paced iterative design and manufacturing environments.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Automation & Controls Engineer/Level I: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00/per year
Automation & Controls Engineer/Level II: $115,000.00 - $135,000.00/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. 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 notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.
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.
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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.
