Mission Integration Engineer, User Products (Starshield)
SpaceX
hawthorne, ca, usa
USD 95k-115k / year + Equity
Posted on Nov 8, 2025
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.
MISSION INTEGRATION 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 member of our Mission Management team, you will serve as a core point of contact for customers from early education about Starshield communications to supervision of in-depth and scaled deployments of Starshield User Products. You’ll support new business proposals from initial requirements verification through successful integrations of hardware, software, and networks. You’d work within a team of other Mission Integration Engineers and Mission Managers, on the same program and across related efforts, to ensure total alignment of your work. You will primarily focus on integrating our Aviation Terminal products on military and defense aircraft. You would also work closely with disciplines across SpaceX such as hardware engineering, software, network operations, security, sales, and account management to ensure customer mission success.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Serve as the customer interface at meetings, tests, and reviews to develop integration plans, assist in architectural overviews, and ensure customer success when assisting customers with aviation integrations of our User Terminal products.
- Ensure contract deliverables are completed on time and per customer expectations, distill customer requirements into actionable development objectives.
- Work with all internal and external stakeholders to drive product development based on customer feedback, emerging markets, technology changes, etc.
- Support all phases of the program from pre-sales consultations, integrations, testing, troubleshooting and steady state operations. This will include educating the customer on our designs and methodologies.
- Product manage the Starshield aviation hardware lineup, which includes updating drawings and kits, notifying internal stakeholders and customers of product iterations and revisions, update product and interface documents to accurately reflect current data.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, emphasis on mechanical or aerospace engineering.
- 2+ years of experience working in the aerospace or defense industry.
- 2+ years of technical project management and/or systems engineering experience.
- Experience working with integrating hardware on or in aircraft.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and deliver reliable and expeditious results across multiple parallel priorities.
- Highly detail oriented, hardworking, and professional with excellent written and verbal technical communication skills.
- Aviation modification design, development, integration, and/or test experience.
- Strong penchant for innovation in process improvement and system design.
- Positive, “can-do” attitude, self-starter, and ability to work in a high pace dynamic environment.
- Strong analytical, verbal, and written skills.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Active Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance preferred. 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 pass DoD level background checks for entry into various government facilities.
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Mission Integration Engineer/Level I: $95,000.00 - $115,000.00/per year.
Mission Integration Engineer/Level II: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00/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 & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation & 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 EEOCompliance@spacex.com.