Application Software Engineer, Applied AI

SpaceX

Confirmed live yesterday Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Vandenberg, CA
Salary: $125,000–$160,000 / yr
Posted: 43 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 5 roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $184k

This role $142k

$113k most similar roles pay here $236k

This role pays less than 79% of similar roles. Most pay $148,625–$219,227 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $142k versus about $184k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

SpaceX currently has 680 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$165,000 across 442 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at SpaceX

At a glance

TL;DR · Application Software Engineer, Applied AI

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As an Application Software Engineer, Applied AI, you will join the Application Software team to design, evaluate, deploy, and integrate modern AI systems into mission-critical products and infrastructure. You will own the end-to-end lifecycle of AI capabilities, including large language models and agentic systems, from initial prototype to production deployment. Your daily work involves building reliable software to accelerate launch vehicle production, flight operations, and Starlink services. Key responsibilities include architecting workflows for multi-agent orchestration, advanced retrieval, and tool-use while maintaining rigorous evaluation frameworks and monitoring for safety and latency. You will utilize technologies such as Python, C#.NET, Go, Scala, or Java, alongside Docker, Kubernetes, and Kafka. Front-end experience with Angular or React and database knowledge of PostgreSQL or SQL Server are also utilized to solve complex problems in the aerospace and telecommunications domains.

Skills

Large Language Models Agentic Systems Python C# Go Scala Java Docker Kubernetes Kafka Angular React PostgreSQL SQL Server Full Stack Development Fine-tuning A/B Testing

What you'll do

Develop reliable software solutions using large language models and agentic systems to improve production and flight operations.
Manage the full lifecycle of AI systems from initial prototype through deployment, monitoring, and iteration.
Architect production systems for multi-agent orchestration, tool-use, advanced retrieval, and long-context applications.
Build and maintain rigorous evaluation frameworks including LLM-as-judge, automated benchmarks, and performance monitoring.
Identify high-leverage AI opportunities by analyzing user problems to deliver production-grade solutions.
Integrate emerging AI techniques and best practices into existing infrastructure across various SpaceX programs.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or a scientific discipline, or 2+ years of professional software experience.
At least 1 year of experience in full stack development.
Proven track record of delivering and integrating AI models into production systems.
Experience with modern LLM techniques including agentic systems, tool-use, multi-agent orchestration, and advanced retrieval.
Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C#.NET, Go, Scala, or Java.
Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and data streaming technologies like Kafka.
Front-end experience with frameworks like Angular or React and database experience with PostgreSQL or SQL Server.
Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible for required export control authorizations.

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