Automation & Controls Specialist

About the role

This position focuses on the development and activation of ground support equipment for the Starship program. As an Automation & Controls Specialist, you will join a team of engineers at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base to build, maintain, and improve the electrical and control systems used in rocket launch operations. Ground support equipment is the machinery that ties the vehicle to the ground infrastructure: the cabinets that condition power, the control systems that time valves, and the pneumatics and fluid plumbing that support the hardware at the pad. The role is technical and hands on. You will lay out control panels to industrial standards, build and commission them in the field, and debug the PLC logic that runs them until the team trusts the equipment when it matters. Launch windows and test campaigns set the pace, so the work runs on mission tempo, and careful documentation is part of getting hardware to a launch. If you like controls work that actually runs, this is direct hands-on ground support, not abstract modeling. The controls team works across the entire ground system, from power distribution to final actuator, and each fielded change shows up in the hardware that launches.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design, test, and activate new launch hardware and control systems.
• Build electrical cabinets and manage field wiring.
• Manage pneumatics and fluid plumbing for site ground support equipment.
• Troubleshoot critical ground support equipment.
• Create manufacturing work orders and technical procedures for commissioning.
• Develop and debug PLC code for automation and controls applications.
• Arrange industrial control panels to satisfy required codes and standards.
• Produce electrical, fluid, and pneumatic schematics for the team.
• Partner with design engineers so drawings stay aligned with the field reality of the site.
• Be the person on shift when a ground system fails, debugging with the hardware live and the launch sequence watching.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in an engineering, controls, or technician role.
• Ability to pass the required site background check.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee to meet ITAR requirements
• Willingness to work nights, weekends, and travel up to 15%.
• Comfortable with physical tasks: climbing, lifting, bending, standing.

Nice to have

• Bachelor degree in engineering or technology.
• Trade school qualification in electrical or instrumentation.
• Proficiency with a modern PLC programming environment.
• Hazardous area installation experience.
• Ability to work with industrial network protocols such as Modbus, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP.
• Scripting background in Python, C/C++, or JavaScript.
• Good knowledge of relevant safety and panel codes, including NFPA 70E and 79.
• Experience with Siemens TIA Portal, EPlan CAD, or similar engineering design tools.
• Hazardous location (Class 1, Division 1 and 2) installation background.

Skills & tools

• Automation and control panel design
• PLC programming
• Wiring and schematic design
• Commissioning and site troubleshooting
• Documentation and procedures

Practical notes

• Site-based at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, FL.
• Potential travel up to 15% to support other launch sites.
• The role supports active pad operations: expect to be on your feet, gloves on, and the hardware live.
• The candidate who thrives here learns the local electrical, fluid, and control infrastructure quickly and owns the quality of delivery from the first panel to the final test.
• SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodation for the application process available upon request.

About the company

Based in Starbase, Texas, a company pursues work in spaceflight, telecom, and artificial intelligence. A unit handles rocket launches, leading yearly orbital counts beyond other national and commercial teams. Another unit runs Starlink, a satellite communications firm. A third area, through SpaceXAI, advances Grok and AI integration with X, while managing data center operations. Roles often cross these paths. Candidates with engineering, software, or operations backgrounds may find chances to join projects that span launch, connectivity, and machine learning efforts in this Texas-based enterprise.