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.

SYSTEMS ENGINEER, FLIGHT TERMINATION SYSTEM (STARSHIP)

As a member of the Flight Termination System team, you will have the exciting opportunity to be responsible for the design and certification of the Starship Flight Termination System! You will demonstrate extreme ownership through deep understanding of the functionality, design, and requirements from system concept through post flight reporting. As an extreme owner, you will be responsible for interfacing with SpaceX engineering and regulatory partners to implement, tailor, and challenge space industry regulatory requirements to achieve a highly reliable flight safety system. Our development timelines are aggressive, and the Flight Termination System is one of the few safety critical systems on the vehicle. The hardware that makes up the FTS requires extremely high levels of rigor and you will solve very challenging problems at the intersection of safety critical hardware and high explosives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Act as responsible engineer for Starship Flight Termination System (FTS) development, hardware design, qualification, and per-launch deliverables for mission licensing
Define detailed system design, including system interconnect schematics, consumable budgets, harness and channel capabilities, fault tolerance, reliability, hardware manifest, vehicle risk, and configuration change management
Work collaboratively with customers and experts from other teams to perform system trades, define vehicle architecture, and scope new designs as they move from concept, through prototype, and into production
Ensure that the as-built Flight Termination System meets design intent, regulatory requirements, and achieves high reliability
Interface with internal operations teams, internal flight reliability teams, and external regulatory partners such as the FAA
Be responsible for assessing and communicating to SpaceX internal teams and regulatory partners that FTS is ready for flight
Generate and submit flight safety system certification deliverables to launch from multiple launch ranges

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, aerospace or computer engineering, or physics
1+ years of hardware development experience in electronic or mechanical systems (academic projects, internships, and traditional professional experience all qualify)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Experience with system design and testing for hardware sub-systems such as RF, power, communications, human interface, and sensors
Experience designing and certifying flight safety systems for launch vehicles
Experience with system trades and first-hand knowledge of how requirements tie hardware to larger systems
Self-starter with experience making hardware work within demanding time and resource constraints
Experience with wire harness design and build, including associated sub-components
Experience with NX or similar CAD design software
Familiarity with electrical test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, etc.) and basic analysis techniques
Experience writing engineering software for test automation, data review, and design analysis, preferably in MATLAB or Python
Demonstrated project management skills and ability to collaborate with other engineering disciplines

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

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

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:
Level I: $95,000 - $115,000/per year
Level II: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00/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. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

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.

Systems Engineer, Flight Termination System (Starship)