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.

PRINCIPAL STARSHIP ENGINEER 

RESPONSIBILITES:

• Close architectural trades by leading and arbitrating interdisciplinary trades
• Responsible for reporting program status and risks at a regular cadence internally and externally
• Set a scrappy, positive, and hardware-rich culture within the team with a sense of urgency towards making us a space-faring civilization
• Hire and mentor individual contributors and people leaders within the Starship team
• Capture and distill customer mission requirements from a variety of external stakeholders into actionable development objectives and verification plans
• Develop system requirements and interface control documents based on trade study results
• Lead reviews with customers and ensure that technical contract deliverables are delivered on time and per the customer’s expectation

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering with a minimum of 5+ years of industry experience
• 7+ years of experience leading teams to produce engineering products

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Master’s degree in aerospace engineering or relevant engineering discipline
• Professional experience working with launch vehicles, space vehicles, command and control systems, and/or ground/space sensor systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with direct experience negotiating technical deliverables or scope
• Significant experience leading cross-functional teams and working with external customers and systems engineering and technical assistance (SETA) representatives
• Significant experience leading and performing quantitative system of systems architecture trades and development
• 7+ years of experience working with government or commercial spacecraft entities
• Highly detail oriented, diligent, and hardworking
• Passion for advancing the commercial space industry
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up atmosphere

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Must be available to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed to support critical milestones or operations shifts
• Ability to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
• Must be willing to travel to other SpaceX offices and customer locations as needed, up to 25%

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:

Principal Starship Engineer: $165,000.00 - $230,000.00/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.