Skip to content

Electrical Design Engineer, Gateways & Customer Hardware (Starlink)

Bastrop, TX
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

Starlink believes in providing fast, reliable internet to serve populations with little or no connectivity. We design, build, launch, and operate the world's largest constellation of satellites, enabling us to operate a global internet network unbounded by traditional ground infrastructure limitations. Starlink also designs, builds, and delivers high-volume consumer hardware that allows users to connect to these satellites within minutes of unboxing, as well as our advanced gateways that we deploy regionally throughout the world. The root of SpaceX's success so far lies in our mission to keep all engineering and production in-house, which enables a tight feedback loop, nimble decision-making, and speedy deliverables. With millions of daily users worldwide already online, Starlink is truly a game-changer and levels the playing field for those who were previously unconnected.

As an Electrical Design Engineer on the Starlink team, you will have complete ownership over the development of millions of customer-facing products and devices that we ship directly to end users (Starlink dishes/user terminals, Wi-Fi routers, etc.). Our customers currently include teachers in the most remote parts of the Amazon, researchers in Antarctica, digital nomads who travel via RV, emergency responders, commercial airlines, cruise lines, and residential users who live in more rural or developing areas. You will be responsible for the design, implementation, and verification of the entire electrical system for these products. You could also be responsible for the design and performance of next-generation gateways - ultimately ensuring that our ground station antenna hardware can withstand the harshest environmental conditions while maintaining reliable communication with millions of users on a global scale. You will interact regularly with partner teams including silicon, software, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering to steer this hardware from initial concept development to full-scale production.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Design, develop, and test highly reliable electronics for communicating with our satellites
  • Partner with software, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and production test teams
  • Drive system trades, requirements capture, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, hardware bring-up, debugging, documentation, manufacturing, and test of complex electrical designs
  • Get hands-on and support hardware through production, satellite integration, and flight
  • Work closely with engineers from adjacent disciplines (mechanical, thermal, software, test engineering, supply chain, silicon design, etc.) to deliver tightly integrated, high-performance hardware
  • Drive continual improvements to our designs by building physical and digital tools to analyze data collected on orbit and in the lab
  • Challenge assumptions and work to find simple solutions to complex problems

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or other engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of professional experience designing circuits, electronic products, or hardware

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or similar engineering degree
  • 2+ years of professional experience rapidly designing and delivering highly reliable products
  • 2+ years of electronic product experience designing hardware from concept through production; strong emphasis on full life cycle development of new hardware products and not small incremental updates to legacy hardware
  • 2+ years of experience designing and implementing mixed-signal circuit boards from concept through production using processors, FPGAs, Ethernet, multi-GHz Serdes, DRAM interfaces (DDR4), I2C, SPI, operational amplifiers, analog to digital and digital to analog converters, and power supply components
  • 2+ years of professional experience testing, troubleshooting, and debugging electronics
  • Strong understanding of computers and programming languages (Python, C/C++)
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross-functional role

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed for mission critical deadlines

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. Section 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. Section 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 EEOCompliance@spacex.com.

About SpaceX

SpaceX

SpaceX is one of the most influential aerospace companies in the world, transforming space launch, satellite communications, and deep-space transportation. Founded by Elon Musk, SpaceX designs and manufactures advanced rockets and spacecraft, including Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship, alongside the Dragon spacecraft and the Starlink satellite internet constellation. The company plays a major role in U.S. space access, national security launch capabilities, and commercial space infrastructure.

For job seekers, SpaceX offers opportunities across some of the most demanding engineering disciplines in the industry, including aerospace engineering, propulsion, software development, avionics, manufacturing, robotics, materials science, and mission operations. The company is especially attractive to engineers, technicians, and builders who want to work in a high-intensity environment focused on rapid iteration, vertical integration, and hands-on hardware development at scale.

Unlike traditional aerospace contractors that rely heavily on long development cycles, SpaceX operates with a fast-paced, vertically integrated engineering culture where teams design, build, test, and fly systems in rapid succession. Employees often work directly on flight hardware and production systems, contributing to programs that routinely push the boundaries of reusability, launch frequency, and cost reduction in space access.

As global demand for satellite communications, space infrastructure, and national security launch services continues to grow, SpaceX remains one of the most important employers in aerospace and defense-adjacent technology. For professionals seeking a highly challenging, mission-driven career at the cutting edge of spaceflight and advanced engineering, SpaceX stands out as one of the most ambitious and impactful companies in the world.

Go to company profile