We use cookies. Find out more about it here. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
#alert
Back to search results
New

Operations Engineer (Starshield)

SpaceX
$95,000.00 - $115,000.00/per year
life insurance, parental leave, paid holidays, sick time, 401(k), retirement plan, stock options, remote work
United States, California, Hawthorne
Oct 23, 2025

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 ofenabling human life on Mars.

OPERATIONS ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. As an electrical development engineer on the Starshield team, you will demonstrate extreme ownership through detailed and thorough design, hardware bring-up/characterization/testing, and requirements generation/verification - ultimately seeing your hardware through all aspects of its life cycle.

Starshield depends on the quality, reliability, cost, manufacturability, throughput, and security of the products that we deliver. If you seek a fast-paced, dynamic environment; if you thrive on solving difficult problems where resolutions have a high impact; and if you love the challenge of building something from scratch, then this role will be an ideal next career step.

RESPONSIBILITIES:



  • Develop and maintain project schedules and budgets for capital projects, monitoring progress and addressing deviations in real time
  • Define new business processes and systems for high volume production, including manufacturing execution, inventory management, nonconformance resolution, configuration management, material traceability, process control, and maintenance
  • Act as subject matter expert in multiple Starshield production processes and systems, enabling complex data gathering, troubleshooting, and problem solving
  • Implement data acquisition and tracking for production and quality metrics, as well as environmental, testing, and safety controls
  • Assist production/engineering leadership team to identify trends and opportunities for optimizing product output, quality enhancements, and cost of manufacturability
  • Consistently contribute effort, leadership, and creative thinking to solving complex problems in a collaborative fashion and under tight deadlines
  • Collaborate across disciplines including engineering, production, test, inventory, quality, supply chain, and customer experience to ensure efficiency and consistency across the organization


BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:



  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical, software, industrial, or other engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of experience in manufacturing or industrial project management (collegiate extracurricular engineering projects such as lab projects, Formula SAE, Baja SAE, Design Build Fly team, competitions, or internships qualify)


PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:



  • Project management experience, particularly related to creating or overhauling cross-functional business processes
  • Experience working with contractors on infrastructure projects across multiple disciplines
  • Knowledge of database structures and SQL
  • Understanding of lean engineering and Six Sigma concepts and their application
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience analyzing large datasets and communicating conclusions
  • Experience supporting production of complex electro-mechanical systems
  • Ability to identify customer needs, gather requirements, and execute independently
  • Creative approach to problem solving and exceptional analytical skills
  • Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment that includes working with changing needs and requirements


ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:



  • Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends when needed to meet major milestones
  • Must be willing to travel up to 10%
  • This position is based in Hawthorne, CA and requires being onsite - remote work not considered
  • An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing


COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:
Operations Engineer/Level I: $95,000.00 - $115,000.00/per year
Operations Engineer/Level: $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. Thosewith an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $15,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

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 & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation & 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 toEEOCompliance@spacex.com.

Applied = 0

(web-675dddd98f-kfkhf)