Electric Propulsion Engineer, Avionics (Starshield)

Hawthorne · 1+ years experience · Onsite · Posted Sep 23, 2026

At a glance

SpaceX is hiring an Electric Propulsion Engineer with an avionics focus to join a collaborative engineering team working on design, analysis, build, and test of high-volume, flight-qualified satellite electric propulsion systems.
In this role you will contribute end-to-end hardware ownership of propulsion power-processing and control electronics—from design through production support and qualification—for hardware that must meet flight reliability requirements.

Design, analyze, test, and provide operational support for high-volume production spacecraft electric propulsion avionics
Lead or contribute to electrical architecture, specification, component selection, circuit-board design, implementation, verification, board bring-up, and debugging
Design, develop, and test propulsion electronics, including characterization, requirements generation and verification, and flight qualification
Partner with firmware/software, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and production-test teams
Design, build, modify, operate, and troubleshoot electric propulsion electronics and associated test setups
Analyze and review ground-test and flight data with numerical tools to confirm hardware is operating as expected and inform design decisions
Lead root-cause investigations and board or component redesigns to improve reliability and/or production rates
Develop and execute qualification test plans for flight readiness
Evaluate design and qualification coverage for new vehicles and missions and close gaps with targeted analysis or test
Make risk-informed trades across cost, lead time, reliability, and performance to meet program reliability targets for flight hardware

1+ years of total experience in one or a combination of professional or internship experience designing, testing, and analyzing power electronics, analog/mixed-signal, or spacecraft avionics, or academic research with comparable design/build/test ownership, or closely related hardware experience
Ability to perform essential job duties that may include working in and around vacuum chambers and high-voltage test areas
Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State to conform to ITAR requirements

Demonstrated delivery of hardware for aerospace, defense, space, or equivalent high-reliability or safety-critical use
Experience with mixed-signal or power electronics bring-up, characterization, and debug
Working knowledge of analog and power electronics, high-voltage design, circuit protection, EMI/EMC, and numerical analysis programming, control loops, plasma or nonlinear electrical loads, schematic/layout review, vacuum operation, and C/C++
Experience prioritizing concurrent design, build, and test work against flight and production milestones
Clear documentation habits appropriate for flight hardware
Track record of improving designs and processes for reliability, rate, or quality
Active Top Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance, or ability and willingness to obtain a Top Secret clearance

Long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards
Potential discretionary bonuses
Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
Access to a 401(k) retirement plan
Short and long-term disability insurance
Life insurance
Paid parental leave
3 weeks of paid vacation
10 or more paid holidays per year

This role is primarily on-site to support hands-on test facility and hardware work.

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