Electric Propulsion Engineer, Avionics (Starshield) Verified today

SpaceX · Hawthorne, CA · Propulsion · first seen 2026-09-24

About the role

SpaceX is hiring an Electric Propulsion Engineer to join a collaborative team designing, building, testing, and qualifying high-volume spacecraft electric propulsion systems for Starshield. You will contribute end-to-end hardware ownership of propulsion power-processing and control electronics from design through production support and qualification.

Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.

Responsibilities

Design, analyze, test, and provide operational support for high-volume production spacecraft electric propulsion avionics (power-processing and control electronics that drive thrusters, heaters, and propellant-feed actuators)
Lead or contribute to electrical architecture, specification, component selection, circuit-board design, implementation, verification, board bring-up, and debugging
Design, develop, and test propulsion electronics, including characterization, requirements generation and verification, and flight qualification
Partner with firmware/software, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and production-test teams
Design, build, modify, operate, and troubleshoot electric propulsion electronics and associated test setups, including vacuum-chamber electrical interfaces, high-voltage supplies, data acquisition and control systems, harnessing, and instrumentation
Analyze ground-test and flight data with numerical tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB) to confirm hardware is operating as expected and inform design decisions
Lead root-cause investigations and board or component redesigns to improve reliability and production rates
Develop and execute qualification test plans for flight readiness (vibration, shock, thermal cycle, EMI/EMC, life cycle, fault injection)
Evaluate design and qualification coverage for new vehicles and missions; close gaps with targeted analysis or test
Make risk-informed trades across cost, lead time, reliability, and performance to meet program reliability targets
Own critical spaceflight hardware end-to-end, with support from manufacturing, reliability, test, firmware, and operations teams
Work as an integrated team with daily interactions among technicians, engineers, and managers; identify and implement design and process improvements
Communicate clearly under ambiguity, escalate technical and schedule risks early, and collaborate through disagreement

Basic qualifications

Bachelor's degree in electrical, aerospace, physics, mechanical, or other engineering discipline preferred
1 or more 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)

Preferred skills and experience

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
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

Additional requirements

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 including 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
Ability to travel up to 10 percent of the time
This role is primarily on-site to support hands-on test facility and hardware work

Compensation

Level 1: $105,000 to $140,000 annually
Level 2: $120,000 to $170,000 annually
Actual level and base salary determined case-by-case based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience
Those with an active clearance will receive a 10 percent differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program

Base salary is one part of total rewards. You may be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, discretionary bonuses, and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Benefits include comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage; 401(k) retirement plan; short and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; paid parental leave; 3 weeks of paid vacation; and 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to company policy.

ITAR requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. Section 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. Section 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.