Sr. Mission Integration Engineer, AI (Starshield)

SR. MISSION INTEGRATION ENGINEER, AI (STARSHIELD)

Special Programs leverages technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. Starshield, within Special Programs, is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.

The data applications team is building highly reliable mission-critical AI solutions supporting Starshield use-cases. You will drive the development and enhancement of core applications while collaborating cross-functionally to deliver end-to-end products. Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here—we want our engineers to bring fresh ideas from all areas. We look for engineers who love solving problems and seek to make an impact on an inspiring mission. As we expand this team, we’re looking for versatile, motivated, and collaborative engineers.

Our team is responsible for identifying pain points, scoping product specifications, and designing and building LLM-powered software for government or enterprise use cases. This role will enhance model performance through system prompt tuning or fine-tuning, with an eye toward secure and scalable deployment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop full-stack solutions to manage scalable AI content interaction systems with user applications
• Develop prototypes to prove key design concepts and quantify technical constraints
• Apply creativity to build an immersive earth observation experience for users whether they are in offices or in the field
• See your software through from start-to-finish: from figuring out the core needs to prototyping, developing, and testing; to production rollout and beyond

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, physics, mathematics, or engineering discipline
• 5+ experience developing Python applications

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Professional experience developing web services and distributed applications across cloud and on-premise networks
• Professional experience developing within Linux server environments, SSH, scripting, and configuration
• Experience with Kubernetes or similar container orchestration frameworks
• Experience with Model Context Protocol or large model content interaction systems
• Experience with developing RAG pipelines, tool callers, and AI orchestration systems
• Experience with Vector databases or implementing highly performant databases
• Experience with image data processing and machine learning
• Experience with graphics-intensive web application development

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
• Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance
• An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:

Mission Integration Engineer/Senior: $130,000.00 - $180,000.00/per year

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. Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

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, stock options, 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.