Software Engineer (Starshield Products)

<div class="content-intro"><p>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&nbsp;enabling human life on Mars.</p></div><p><strong>SOFTWARE ENGINEER (STARSHIELD PRODUCTS)</strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">This team focuses on operating and deploying AI capabilities (models, APIs, tools, and integrations) for U.S. federal agencies. You'll work closely with product, research, infrastructure, and legal/governance teams to make AI and future models maximally useful for missions while upholding SpaceX's standards, transparency, and ethical standards.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Starshield Product Engineers are responsible for the health, performance, and stability of the services that power these missions. You own the full end-to-end cycle of service reliability—from responding to outages to improving codebases and building lasting solutions.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">You will tackle critical issues for key government customers, introduce observability into complex systems, address technical debt in essential codebases, and inform strategic investments in core products. We are looking for engineers who enjoy deep-dive troubleshooting, feel strong ownership over the problems they encounter, and recognize the urgency of customer-facing outages.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">During periodic on-call shifts, you will respond to automated alerts, investigate issues reported by customers, and share technical expertise with adjacent product teams.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"><span class="TextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0">RESPONSIBILITIES:</span></span></span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-ccp-props="{}"><span class="TextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW196439292 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW196439292 BCX0">Own the health, performance, and stability of integrations between frontier AI models (e.g., Grok family) and government systems, platforms, and data environments</span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span data-ccp-props="{}"><span class="TextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW196439292 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW196439292 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW112224823 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW112224823 BCX0">Continuously invest in documentation, metrics, monitors, and other troubleshooting tools that keep these services observable and operable</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span data-ccp-props="{}"><span class="TextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW197760342 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW196439292 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW196439292 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW112224823 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="TextRun SCXW84077581 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW84077581 BCX0">Tackle critical issues for key government customers: respond to automated alerts, investigate reported problems, and drive lasting fixes</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Partner with agency stakeholders and adjacent product teams to understand operational needs, share technical expertise, and iterate based on real-world feedback.</span></li> <li>Partner with agency stakeholders to understand requirements, prototype solutions, and iterate rapidly based on real-world feedback</li> <li><span class="TextRun SCXW40956351 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW40956351 BCX0">Address technical debt in essential codebases and inform strategic investments in core products</span></span></li> <li><span class="TextRun SCXW40956351 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166828757 BCX0">Participate</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166828757 BCX0"> in on-call rotations during business hours and occasional weekends, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166828757 BCX0">maintaining</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166828757 BCX0"> resilient, high-uptime production systems</span></span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering or another STEM discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a degree</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;1+ years of hands-on software engineering experience building scalable systems, APIs, or AI/ML applications (strong Python proficiency, other languages a plus)</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Experience working with large language models, generative AI, or agentic systems—either in research, production, or applied engineering</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto"> 1+ years of experience working on enterprise applications that serve &gt;10,000 users distributed across geograp</span><span data-contrast="auto">hies and time zones</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Familiarity with government or public sector technology environments (federal civilian agencies, state/local gov, or regulated industries like healthcare, finance, or infrastructure)</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Strong product sensibility: ability to translate ambiguous stakeholder needs into concrete technical solutions</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Demonstrated ability to write clean, maintainable, high-performance code under tight timelines</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto"> Exceptional problem-solving skills and intellectual curiosity—you thrive on hard, ambiguous challenges.</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto"> Excellent communication skills; you can explain complex technical concepts to non-technical partners clearly and concisely.</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto"><span class="TextRun SCXW70148886 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW70148886 BCX0">Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), API orchestration.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW70148886 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;20% travel may be required to government sites</span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">&nbsp;This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:</strong><br><br>Pay Range:<br>Level 1: $125,000.00 - $160,000.00<br>Level 2: $145,000.00 - $195,000.00<br><br></p> <p>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.</p> <p>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 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.</p><div class="content-conclusion"><p><strong>ITAR REQUIREMENTS:</strong></p> <ul> <li>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 <a href="https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&amp;sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987">here</a>. &nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>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.</p> <p>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&nbsp;<a href="mailto:EEOCompliance@spacex.com">EEOCompliance@spacex.com</a><em>.&nbsp;</em></p></div>