Software Engineer (Starlink Ground Network)

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SOFTWARE ENGINEER (STARLINK GROUND NETWORK)
As a Software Engineer on the Ground Network team, you will own software systems that enable capacity planning for the next generation of Starlink’s global ground infrastructure. This includes thousands of ground stations, points of presence, data centers, fiber, and associated hardware. You will build tools, models, and services that let us forecast demand, optimize deployments, quantify costs, and scale the network to serve tens of millions of users while maintaining reliability and cost efficiency.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, build, and maintain highly reliable software for capacity planning, forecasting, and optimization of the Starlink Ground Network.
• Develop scalable data pipelines, and backend services that ingest telemetry, inventory, cost, and usage data to produce actionable capacity models and KPIs.
• Create simulation, optimization, and forecasting engines that predict future ground-network needs, identify bottlenecks, and recommend deployment strategies.
• Collaborate with network engineers, operators, software teams, and external partners to close the loop between planning models and real-world performance.
• Own the full software lifecycle: architecture, implementation, testing, deployment, monitoring, and rapid iteration in a fast-changing environment.
• Apply first-principles thinking to deep-dive into capacity, cost, and scaling problems; prototype solutions and quantify technical constraints.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, physics, or a STEM discipline; OR 3+ years of professional software development experience in lieu of a degree (internship experience is applicable).
• 1+ years of professional experience in software engineering, data engineering, or related fields.
• Development experience in an object-oriented or systems programming language (C++, Python, Go, Java, C#, or similar).

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience building capacity-planning, forecasting, or optimization systems (inventory, logistics, supply-chain, or network infrastructure).
• Strong backend experience with APIs, data pipelines, and in-stream processing of structured/semi-structured data (Kafka, Spark, Flink, or similar).
• Experience with relational and non-relational databases, data lakes, and ETL/ELT pipelines.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, and production deployment/monitoring practices.
• Experience with data visualization and dashboarding tools (Grafana, Metabase, PowerBI, or similar).
• Knowledge of networking principles, OSI model, or large-scale infrastructure.
• Experience with numerical optimization, graph algorithms, simulation, or predictive modeling.
• Ability to take initiative, work in ambiguous/dynamic environments, and deliver end-to-end solutions.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Level 1: $125,000.00 - $165,000.00
Level 2: $145,000.00 - $200,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive 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, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [email protected].