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Regulatory Affairs Engineer

Support regulatory affairs for Falcon, Dragon, and Starfall programs at SpaceX, ensuring compliance with U.S. government requirements.

Location
Hawthorne, CA
Compensation
$100k–$130k/yr
Level
mid
Type
full time · On-site

Posted by employer 4 days ago

First seen on Joblaze 3 days ago

Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago

What you'll build

  • Support interactions with FAA, DoD, NASA, USCG, FCC
  • Maintain Falcon and Dragon vehicle operator licenses
  • Support Starfall reentry vehicle licensing
  • Prepare and transmit mission-specific deliverables
  • Assist with regulatory compliance and certification

Must have

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of experience in a system design, manufacturing, or test engineering role

Nice to have

  • Master's degree in an engineering, physical science, or space policy discipline
  • Project management skills
  • Experience with multi-system engineering design
  • Excellent communication and writing skills

Practical constraints

  • Must be available to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Requirements

Experience
1+ years
Education
Bachelor's degree
Visa
No sponsorship (stated in posting)

Benefits

401k Match Paid Vacation Paid Sick Leave Equity/Stock Options Paid Holidays Health Insurance Parental Leave

Joblaze summary

The Regulatory Affairs Engineer at SpaceX plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with FAA and other regulatory requirements for the Falcon, Dragon, and Starfall programs. This position requires a solid foundation in engineering principles, with a focus on systems engineering and project management skills to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. Ideal candidates are those with at least a year of relevant experience and a background in engineering or physical sciences, capable of collaborating across various technical disciplines. The role involves close interaction with multiple teams to support mission readiness and continuous improvement.

Joblaze insights

  • Listed 3 days ago — first seen on Joblaze November 12, 2026. Last confirmed on SpaceX's careers page November 14, 2026.
  • Salary band is below the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$130,000).
  • Starts above 24% of 1406 comparable mid other roles in United States we track (median $107,000 across 184 companies).

Quick facts

Is the Regulatory Affairs Engineer role remote?
No — this is an on-site role in Hawthorne, CA.
What's the salary range?
SpaceX lists $100,000–$130,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?
At least 1 year of relevant experience for this Regulatory Affairs Engineer role.
Where is the role based?
SpaceX is hiring for this position in Hawthorne, CA.
What seniority level is this role?
SpaceX targets mid-level candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?
Full-time for this Regulatory Affairs Engineer role at SpaceX.

From the original posting

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.

REGULATORY AFFAIRS ENGINEER

This Regulatory Affairs Engineer supports the Falcon, Dragon, and Starfall programs in FAA launch and reentry licensing and related regulatory affairs. The role demonstrates compliance with applicable U.S. government requirements and works with SpaceX engineers across disciplines, with frequent engagement with commercial space, airspace, radio spectrum, and maritime regulators. The role also supports Falcon, Dragon, and Starfall engineering, which oversees each SpaceX mission and drives continuous improvement from prior flights.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Support interactions with offices within the FAA, DoD, NASA, USCG, FCC, and other agencies regarding existing licenses, new applications, and compliance matters
  • Maintain Falcon and Dragon vehicle operator licenses, and submit modifications as necessary for these mature programs
  • Support Starfall reentry vehicle licensing, including the initial license and later expansions as the vehicle, concept of operations, and payload applications evolve
  • Prepare, track, and transmit mission-specific deliverables as well as licensing and permitting materials to the relevant regulatory entity
  • Assist with the regulatory compliance and certification function within Falcon, Dragon, and Starfall Engineering, with a particular focus on upcoming program milestones
  • Create, coordinate, and organize information across technical, reliability, mission management, Legal, Government Affairs, Environmental, and operations disciplines within SpaceX
  • Closely interact with the Flight Reliability, System Safety, Change Engineering, Trajectory Analysis, and Chief Engineering teams to ensure that licensing materials are accurate and timely
  • Participate in pre-flight and pre-reentry readiness reviews during launch and recovery campaigns to verify that risks are mitigated, site issues are dispositioned and verified, and critical testing and review activities are completed

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of experience in a system design, manufacturing, or test engineering role

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Master's degree in an engineering, physical science, or space policy discipline
  • Systems engineering or system safety engineering education and experience
  • Project management skills, including organizing information, concisely communicating within a team and excellent time management abilities
  • Experience with multi-system engineering design
  • Experience coordinating across responsible engineers and technical areas
  • Able to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment, including frequent interactions with other engineers, managers, and U.S. Government agencies
  • Excellent communication and writing skills, and the ability to succinctly present information and assessments
  • General familiarity with the disciplines necessary for spacecraft flight including: structures; propulsion; avionics; guidance, navigation & control; flight software; dynamics; launch and mission operations; systems engineering; and integration
  • Highly self-motivated with strong organizational skills – able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work
  • Ability to quickly grasp knowledge of a diverse range of hardware and analyses that go into making SpaceX missions reliable and successful

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be available to work extended hours, and weekends as needed
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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 accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

Standard company text repeated across SpaceX's postings is omitted here.

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