Design Criteria Engineer (Starshield)

SpaceX

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Salary: $100,000–$115,000 / yr
Posted: today

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $164k

This role $108k

$89k most similar roles pay here $204k

This role pays less than 90% of similar roles. Most pay $135,000–$193,250 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $108k versus about $164k 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 604 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$155,000 across 440 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at SpaceX

At a glance

TL;DR · Design Criteria Engineer (Starshield)

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As a Design Criteria Engineer at SpaceX, you will join the Starshield team to ensure mission success and high reliability for satellites. Whether design-focused or change-focused, your role involves developing and owning design criteria, requirements, and verification approaches from conception through launch and initial operation in orbit. You’ll engage stakeholders, perform critical peer reviews, guide engineers through the design process, and provide input on a wide range of engineering problems. Key responsibilities include identifying development risks, implementing mitigation plans, and leveraging expertise to define vehicle maturity status. The role demands proficiency with electrical, mechanical, and radio frequency systems, scripting languages like Python or SQL, and ERP systems. Experience in aerospace, strong technical fundamentals, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment are essential.

Skills

Python Matlab SQL Visual Basic Excel MVP ERP systems CI/CD Kubernetes Docker Git Jenkins PostgreSQL AWS GCP Azure Prometheus Grafana Terraform Ansible Nginx Linux Windows Server

What you'll do

Develop and own design criteria, requirements, and verification approaches for new satellite systems.
Perform critical peer reviews of hardware designs during design phases and approve plans based on technical justification.
Guide engineers through the SpaceX design process to ensure compliance with design criteria and requirements.
Proactively identify development risks and implement mitigation strategies for satellite projects.
Develop specialized tools that enable design, analysis, and milestone tracking for satellite systems.

What we're looking for

5+ years of professional engineering experience in design, analysis, test, or manufacturing.
Advanced degree in an engineering discipline (e.g., electrical, mechanical).
Experience with aerospace systems such as aircraft, launch vehicles, or spacecraft.
Proficiency in scripting and data analysis using languages like Python, SQL, or Excel.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in safety-critical applications.
Ability to work self-motivated in a fast-paced startup environment.

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