Platform Engineer, Flight Software (Starlink)

About the role

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.

PLATFORM ENGINEER, FLIGHT SOFTWARE (STARLINK)

As a platform engineer on the Starlink flight software team, you will be responsible for the software that enables rapid iteration and deployment of both ground and satellite software. You will look for slowdowns in developer iteration, inefficiencies in the build system, and unnecessary interface complexity, and fix them. You will engage closely with other Starlink engineers to identify the biggest challenges they are facing and resolve them. You will be responsible for the full lifecycle of the software that you write, from conception to test to maintenance. Your relentless commitment to streamlining the flight software ecosystem will be critical to the team’s ability to rapidly deliver high quality software.

Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, collaborative engineers who love solving problems and want to make an impact on an inspiring mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Maintain flight code generation tooling for flight software and GNC engineers

Maintain core flight software features that are shared across various satellite products

Work closely with flight software developers to understand slow / error prone aspects of embedded software development and fix them

Invent tools and processes that enable fast, accurate, and easy-to-use development and operational systems

Engage ground software teams to understand where flight systems should be changed to simplify constellation operations

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or STEM discipline OR 2+ years of experience in software development

Development experience in C/C++, Python, or other similar programming languages

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Knowledge of Bazel, C++, Python, Bash

Experience identifying and improving performance bottlenecks, both in build systems and in embedded environments

Experience designing aesthetic and easy-to-use user interfaces targeted at software engineers

Experience designing fault tolerant, distributed, or real-time embedded systems

Experience with version control, continuous integration, and continuous delivery systems

Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing needs and requirements

Ability to communicate effectively across teams in a solution-oriented manner

Ability to work independently or in a team

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Willing to work extended hours and weekends when needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: Pay range: Level I: $125,000.00 - $145,000.00/per year Level II: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00/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 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 EEOCompliance@spacex.com .