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. ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, AVIONICS

As a Senior Electrical Engineer on the Core Avionics Life Cycle Team, you will have the unique opportunity to explore all areas of a product’s life cycle from development through production and launch by engaging in multiple disciplines with a focus on electronic design, reliability, and manufacturing. You will be expected to analyze and troubleshoot electronic assemblies, define new processes, design circuits/fixtures/tools, and identify opportunities for improvement in both products and processes. You will have the opportunity to own a wide variety of components that enable SpaceX vehicles to provide the safest and most reliable access to space. Our fundamental goal is to allow humanity to explore the stars; with it comes an extreme responsibility to ensure the safety of the crew and payload.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide extreme ownership of avionics hardware for flight across all areas of the product life cycle
• Design, manufacture, validate, qualify, and fly reliable hardware to expand vehicle capabilities
• Implement changes to electrical schematics that improve reliability and manufacturability
• Perform root cause investigations to characterize off-nominal unit behavior and mitigate risk
• Derive engineering justification to resolve production issues throughout assembly, test, and vehicle integration
• Create test setups and execute hardware validation through benchtop and environmental testing
• Perform peer reviews of team design work including requirements, analysis, schematics and PCB layout.
• Mentor level I and II engineers to grow and develop them

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, or computer engineering
• 5+ years of experience in electronics hardware design (academic projects, internships, and professional experience all qualify)
• 5+ years of experience with electrical test equipment (e.g., multimeters, signal generators, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers) to verify hardware functionality

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Ability to work autonomously in a fast paced and demanding atmosphere
• Demonstrated success driving new hardware designs from concept to flight
• Independently design and integrate complex circuit blocks such as flyback converters, 4-20mA sense, ADC’s, microcontrollers, & CPU’s
• Proficient in electrical schematic capture and PCB design (eCAD) software (e.g., Altium, Orcad)
• High level of proficiency with circuit simulation tools (e.g., SPICE, LTSPICE) and formal analysis methods, such as derating and worst-case circuit analysis
• Implement and validate digital communications interfaces including SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet, RGMII, SGMII, and RS422 on new hardware designs
• Design for Excellence (DFX), root cause, derating, and related analysis
• Hands-on experience in the troubleshooting and resolution of PCBA level defects and failures
• Proficiency writing software for test automation, data review, and design analysis, preferably in MATLAB or Python
• Self-motivated with strong multi-tasking, organizational, communication, and documentation skills
• Creative problem solver capable of working with multidiscipline project engineering functions

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:             

Pay range:          

Sr. Electrical Engineer: $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 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.