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.

AVIONICS SYSTEMS ENGINEER, AFSS (FALCON)

As a member of the Automated Flight Safety System (AFSS) team, you will have the exciting opportunity to own the Falcon AFSS hardware and test systems, including the Flight Termination System components and ordnance and the Range Tracking System. You will demonstrate extreme ownership of hardware and test systems through deep understanding of the functionality, design, and requirements. You will work closely with other engineering teams and regulatory agencies to ensure the hardware meets the mission and regulatory requirements. You will also implement, tailor, and challenge space industry regulatory requirements to achieve the best outcomes. Our fundamental goal is to allow humanity to explore the stars; with it comes extreme responsibility to ensure the safety of the crew and payload.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own the AFSS system design and requirements documentation
• Write and execute verification test plans, test procedures, and test reports for production of safety critical flight hardware
• Support hardware acceptance testing to validate that hardware meets the mission and regulatory requirements
• Act as a customer facing subject matter expert and lead weekly meetings with range safety agencies
• Manage and tailor requirements with regulatory and range safety agencies
• Work with experts from other teams and departments to drive changes that make the system more efficient, more manufacturable, and more reliable. Challenge assumptions and build strong professional relationships
• Perform design and manufacturing assessments of new designs and drive optimization for manufacturability, quality, and cost

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or physics
• 1+ years of academic or professional experience with component design, system level integration, or system level testing

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience with Autonomous Flight Safety Systems (AFSS)
• Experience with ordnance and Flight Termination Systems
• Experience with 3D CAD software
• Experience with qualification/acceptance test planning and execution for hardware components or systems sub-systems
• Experience with government or regulatory agencies
• Creative problem solver that can bring multiple disciplines together with the ability to assess risk and make design and development decisions without all available data
• Strong cross functional project management skills and the ability to collaborate with other engineering disciplines
• Self-motivated with strong sense of accountability and integrity
• Excellent presentation, communication, and documentation skills
• Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing to support extended hours and weekends when necessary to support launch and critical project timelines
• Travel up to 15% of the time to SpaceX test and launch sites in Texas, Florida, and California

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:    

Pay range:    Avionics Systems Engineer/Level I: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00/per year    Avionics Systems 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 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. 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.