About the role
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, POWER OPTIMIZATION (STARLINK) Starlink connects the entire planet (and beyond) via the world's largest satellite constellation. Our network brings great internet to over 12 million households, businesses, and communities in 160+ countries, making it possible for people to live and work in more places than ever before! As a Software Engineer on the Power Optimization team, you'll be responsible for high-performance, safety-critical software that makes billions of operational decisions per day for 10k+ Starlink satellites. You will develop algorithms to keep satellites flying safely, and maximize their network value. You will build first-principles physics models of satellite power and thermal behavior, and optimize payload utilization subject to energy and thermal constraints. Your code will have meaningful and measurable impact on the world.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Write highly reliable ground and vehicle software to control thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit. Develop constellation optimization algorithms, working with engineers across many disciplines to understand satellite operational
requirements and physical constraints. Design future satellite constellations: define
requirements and build simulations for rapid iteration on hardware and software trades. Own the complete lifecycle of your code, including development, testing, verification, rollout, and monitoring. Participate in code reviews for others, and maintain a high standard for code quality. BASIC
QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or STEM discipline OR 3+ years of experience in software development. Proficiency in C/C++ or another systems programming language (e.g. Rust). PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Experience with production software environments where reliability and correctness guarantees are essential. Deep understanding of software performance, and ability to write fast, performance-oriented code. Experience with profilers, vectorization/SIMD, runtime, and memory optimization is a plus. Understanding of version control, testing, continuous integration, builds, deployment, and monitoring. Strong math and physics knowledge. First-principles thinking and willingness to push systems to their objective physical limit. Strong sense of ownership and attention to detail. Excellent writing, speaking, and listening skills. Ability to communicate with experts from other engineering disciplines and know your audience. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities effectively. Passion for working with satellites and advancing the commercial space industry.