Electrical Engineer, Satellites (Starlink)

SpaceX•Redmond, WA

11h•$105,000 - $175,000

About The Position

SpaceX is seeking an Electrical Design Engineer for its Starlink satellite teams. The role owns the full life cycle of hardware that enables Starlink connectivity, working at the intersection of electrical, mechanical, thermal, software, and antenna/RF engineering. Work may involve high-speed digital communications, analog systems, network integration, power electronics, and RF devices. Engineers contribute from system design and schematic capture through PCB layout oversight, troubleshooting, silicon requirements, production, and testing. The role also supports successful outcomes across interdisciplinary satellite subsystems. The position may be on either the Avionics team, responsible for satellite bus systems that control the vehicle, convert and distribute power, route traffic, and connect satellites via space lasers, or the Payload team, responsible for phased arrays, parabolic antennas, and custom compute and modem electronics. Team placement is determined during the interview process based on technical fit, expertise, and candidate preference.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or physics.
At least 1 year of experience designing circuits, electronic products, or hardware; internships and co-ops may count.
Ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed for mission-critical deadlines.
Some travel may occasionally be required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a similar engineering discipline.
At least 2 years of professional experience rapidly designing and delivering highly reliable products.
At least 2 years of electronic product experience designing hardware from concept through production, with emphasis on full life-cycle development of new hardware rather than small incremental updates to legacy hardware.
At least 2 years of experience designing and implementing mixed-signal circuit boards from concept through production using processors, FPGAs, Ethernet, multi-GHz SerDes, DRAM interfaces (DDR4), I2C, SPI, operational amplifiers, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, and power supply components.
At least 2 years of professional experience testing, troubleshooting, and debugging electronics.
Strong understanding of computers and programming languages such as Python and C/C++.
Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross-functional role.
At least 2 years of experience working on aerospace systems.

Responsibilities

Rapidly develop high-reliability electronics for satellites and spacecraft.
Drive system trades, requirements capture, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, hardware bring-up, debugging, documentation, manufacturing, testing, and on-orbit performance of complex electrical designs.
Provide hands-on support for hardware through production, satellite integration, and flight.
Collaborate with engineers in adjacent disciplines, including mechanical, thermal, software, test engineering, supply chain, and silicon design, to deliver tightly integrated, high-performance hardware.
Challenge assumptions and requirements, learn from mistakes, and approach problems with an open mind.

Benefits

Potential long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards.
Potential discretionary bonuses.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount.
Comprehensive medical coverage.
Vision coverage.
Dental coverage.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Paid vacation accruing at 3 weeks.
10 or more paid holidays per year.
Washington State paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law.
Company shuttles for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.
Various other discounts and perks.