Manager, Software Engineering, People (Application Software)
About The Position
SpaceX is hiring a Software Engineering Manager to lead teams building and supporting the software systems used in People operations. These mission-critical systems include HRIS, payroll, timekeeping, benefits, recruiting, employee lifecycle applications, employee master data, and organizational structure. The team also owns integrations connecting People systems with finance, identity, facilities, and other parts of the company. The role focuses on keeping employee, payroll, and HR data accurate, reliable, private, secure, auditable, and scalable as SpaceX grows across its business and sites. The manager provides technical leadership and strategic guidance, owns the system roadmap from prioritization through delivery, helps teams plan and make trade-offs, and improves engineering quality and iteration speed. The position also directly manages software engineers and engineering leads, recruits and develops talent, and supports employee well-being and growth through regular coaching, feedback, goal setting, and performance reviews. The role requires extended hours and weekends as needed and travel to other SpaceX sites as needed, approximately 10%.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, or a science discipline and at least 5 years of software development experience; alternatively, at least 7 years of professional software development experience in lieu of a degree.
- At least 1 year of direct-report management experience for a software engineering team.
- Able to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
- Able to travel to other SpaceX sites as needed, approximately 10%.
- Ability to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg.
- Must meet applicable U.S. export-regulation eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Nice To Haves
- At least 5 years of full-stack development experience across web servers, databases, and client-side technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, including CI/CD.
- Programming experience in Python, C#, .NET, Go, Java, or a similar object-oriented language.
- Front-end experience with Angular, React, or a similar JavaScript framework.
- Experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar database technologies.
- Experience building or integrating with HRIS, payroll, or talent systems.
- Experience handling sensitive employee data, privacy, auditability, and access controls; SOX-aware payroll systems experience is a plus.
- Expertise in HRIS and employee lifecycle systems, including hire-to-retire processes, organizational structure, and employee master data.
- Expertise in payroll, time and attendance, or benefits platforms.
- Experience with HRIS or payroll platforms such as Workday, UKG, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP, or similar.
- Expertise in People data integrations, identity or organizational synchronization, or reporting platforms.
- Up-to-date knowledge of trends, patterns, and developments in web development.
- Strong computer science fundamentals and ability to apply them in real-world settings.
- Experience optimizing application performance and scaling web applications.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated technical project management skills.
- Proven leadership ability on software development teams.
- Understanding of system architecture and ability to communicate and guide others on design decisions.
- Strong desire to mentor and develop employees.
- Ability to collaborate across groups and departments with engineers, People, Payroll, and Talent stakeholders, and managers.
Responsibilities
- Manage software supporting People operations, including HRIS, payroll, time and attendance, benefits, recruiting, employee master data, organizational structure, and related integrations.
- Ensure systems meet goals for reliability, data accuracy, privacy, auditability, and scalability, align with People, Payroll, and Talent stakeholders’ needs, and support future business growth.
- Provide technical leadership and strategic guidance to software teams while continuously raising engineering and execution quality.
- Increase the speed of software team iteration, focusing on capability-based deliverables.
- Work with teams to set priorities, plan work, and make trade-offs.
- Own the system roadmap, including prioritization, implementation, and delivery.
- Collaborate with leaders across the department and company to ensure end-to-end data flows, strong controls, and systems that keep pace with the business.
- Directly manage software engineers and software engineering leads.
- Attract, onboard, and retain diverse talent; develop employees and teams through coaching, mentoring, and management support.
- Conduct weekly one-on-ones, goal setting, feedback conversations, and semi-annual performance reviews to support employee well-being, team health, learning, and development.
Benefits
- Potential eligibility for 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 insurance.
- Dental insurance.
- 401(k) retirement plan.
- Short- and long-term disability insurance.
- Life insurance.
- Paid parental leave.
- Various discounts and perks.
- Accrual of 3 weeks of paid vacation.
- Eligibility for 10 or more paid holidays per year.
- Paid sick leave pursuant to company policy.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
