ML Engineer, Surrogate Modeling (Vehicle Engineering)

SpaceX

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
Hawthorne, CA
Salary
$125,000–$145,000 / yr
Posted
today

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $196k
This role $135k
$112k most similar roles pay here $250k

This role pays less than 86% of similar roles. Most pay $155,487–$236,900 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $135k versus about $196k 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.

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At a glance

TL;DR · ML Engineer, Surrogate Modeling (Vehicle Engineering)

Join the AI for Vehicle Engineering team as an ML Engineer specializing in surrogate modeling to accelerate complex physics and engineering simulations for SpaceX’s launch vehicles and spacecraft. Your role involves developing high-performance surrogate models using state-of-the-art techniques like Fourier Neural Operators (FNO) and other advanced architectures, working closely with hardware and simulation engineers to build scalable data pipelines and preprocess tens of thousands of high-fidelity simulation results. You will stay updated on the latest research in neural operators and physics-informed ML, implementing new methodologies as needed, while ensuring all AI systems are rigorously validated for accuracy and reliability. Ideal candidates have a background in computer science or engineering with experience in Python, deep learning frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow, and expertise in uncertainty quantification and active learning techniques.

What you'll do

  • Develop and deploy production-grade AI surrogate models to accelerate engineering simulations.
  • Design and implement state-of-the-art neural architectures for complex engineering problems.
  • Build scalable data pipelines to manage high-fidelity simulation results efficiently.
  • Stay updated with the latest research in physics-informed ML and apply new techniques.
  • Identify areas where AI can deliver significant improvements in engineering workflows.
  • Develop uncertainty quantification techniques for reliable surrogate model solutions.

What we're looking for

  • 1+ years of software development experience in Python for machine learning applications.
  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, engineering, math, physics, or a related field; OR equivalent professional experience.
  • Expert-level understanding of modern surrogate model architectures like Fourier Neural Operators (FNO) and neural operators.
  • Experience training, tuning, and deploying production-grade ML models for real-world engineering problems.
  • Strong background in traditional simulation methods such as CFD, FEA, thermal analysis, and their integration with AI.
  • Proficiency with deep learning frameworks including PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.

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