Sr. DSP Engineer (Starshield)

Sr. DSP Engineer (Starshield)

Hawthorne, CA

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.

SR. DSP ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.

As a Sr. DSP engineer on the Starshield satellite team, you will be a part of a mission to provide global connectivity to the US government including immediate access to critical intelligence and national security data anywhere it is needed. You will work with a team of RF engineers, DSP engineers, software engineers, hardware engineers and end users to design and build systems for proliferated sensing in low earth orbit. You will work in a highly collaborative and fast-paced environment, where we are exploring unsolved problems and applying the SpaceX mindset of iterating rapidly to go from design and demo to operational capability at lightning pace.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive program-level decisions on sensor firmware and software designs
• Research novel solutions for large-scale RF sensing systems
• Design and test algorithms for on-orbit and ground-based sensor data processing
• Work in close collaboration with FPGA, RF/antenna, and software engineers to design and validate RF sensing systems
• Perform on-orbit demonstrations and testing

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or other STEM discipline and 5+ years of experience in digital signal processing engineering; OR 7+ years of professional experience in digital signal processing engineering experience in lieu of a degree
• 5+ years of experience in system-level modeling and/or digital signal processing

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree in electrical engineering with emphasis in communication systems and/or digital signal processing
• 3+ years professional experience working on RF sensors or related systems
• Experience modeling RF and channel impairments such as multipath, phase noise, group delay, fading and nonlinear distortion
• Experience with software-defined radios and frameworks, such as GNU Radio
• Knowledge of in MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python
• Knowledge of link budgets and analysis related to RF sensing systems
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range: DSP Engineer/Senior: $160,000.00 - $225,000.00/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.

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.

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 View email address on click.appcast.io.