Electric Propulsion Engineer, Avionics (Starshield)

Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.

SpaceX is hiring an Electric Propulsion Engineer (avionics focus) to join a collaborative engineering team working on design, analysis, build, and test of high-volume, flight-qualified satellite electric propulsion systems. In this role you will contribute end-to-end hardware ownership of propulsion power-processing and control electronics—from design through production support and qualification—for hardware that must meet flight reliability requirements.

• →Bachelor's degree in electrical, aerospace, physics, mechanical, or other engineering discipline preferred 
• →1+ years of total experience in one or a combination of the following: professional or internship experience designing, testing, and analyzing power electronics, analog/mixed-signal, or spacecraft avionics; academic research with comparable design/build/test ownership of power supplies, plasma or electric-propulsion power processing, high-voltage, or control electronics; or closely related hardware experience (e.g., motor drives, converters, RF/power, or instrumentation for vacuum or plasma systems) 

• Demonstrated delivery of hardware for aerospace, defense, space, or equivalent high-reliability or safety-critical use (lab, flight, or production; new design or iterative redesign)
• Experience with mixed-signal or power electronics bring-up, characterization, and debug
• Working knowledge of analog and power electronics, high-voltage design, circuit protection, EMI/EMC, and numerical analysis programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB); control loops, plasma or nonlinear electrical loads, schematic/layout review, vacuum operation, and C/C++ as applicable (depth in several of these areas is valued; mastery of all is not expected)
• Experience prioritizing concurrent design, build, and test work against flight and production milestones
• Clear documentation habits appropriate for flight hardware
• Track record of improving designs and processes for reliability, rate, or quality
• Active Top Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance, or ability and willingness to obtain a Top Secret clearance, is desired but not required

• An active clearance may provide the opportunity to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
• Ability to perform essential job duties that may include working in and around vacuum chambers and high-voltage test areas—standing, kneeling, crouching, twisting the upper body, working in cramped positions in small openings, and climbing hand-over-hand. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
• This role is primarily on-site to support hands-on test facility and hardware work (location per posting)

• 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.