Principal Optical Network Engineer

SpaceX

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Redmond, WA
Salary: $180,000–$260,000 / yr
Posted: 130 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $156k

This role $220k

$109k most similar roles pay here $276k

This role pays more than 90% of similar roles. Most pay $137,500–$174,600 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $220k versus about $156k 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.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Optical Network Engineer

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As a Principal Optical Network Engineer (Starlink Ground Network), you will join the team building a global fleet of gateway stations to serve as the internet interfacing backbone for the Starlink network. You will spearhead the design and development of innovative fiber optic connectivity solutions that link thousands of satellites to global points of presence. Your daily responsibilities include developing and maintaining lab and production test stations for product qualification, creating modular automation software in Python for design verification, and collaborating with ground and space networking teams to optimize traffic flow. You will also build tools to monitor the health of optical infrastructure and lead reliability improvements. The role requires expertise in DWDM transmission systems, communications theory, integrated photonics, IP networking, and data analysis using Python, MATLAB, or SQL to solve complex physical layer challenges.

Skills

DWDM Python MATLAB SQL IP Networking Test Automation Photonics Network Design

What you'll do

Design and develop optical connectivity solutions for Starlink ground network infrastructure.
Build and maintain lab and production test stations for product qualification and root cause analysis.
Develop modular, reusable test and automation software in Python for engineering design verification.
Collaborate with networking teams to scale the physical layer and optimize traffic flow.
Create tools and solutions to monitor the health and availability of optical infrastructure.
Lead continuous reliability improvement initiatives for the global fiber optic network.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, applied physics, or another engineering discipline.
7+ years of experience designing optical experiments and developing test automation.
Knowledge of DWDM transmission systems, communications theory, integrated photonics, or optical subsystems.
Experience in optical network design, planning, and DWDM system performance analysis.
Hands-on experience with optical device or system level testing and characterization.
Experience designing and creating test software infrastructure using Python, MATLAB, or similar languages.
Proficiency in data extraction, visualization, and analysis using programming languages or SQL.
Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible for required export control authorizations.