Electrical Test Development Engineer, Customer Hardware

About the role

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. This role is focused within the Starlink organization, where your work will directly influence the reliability and performance of customer-facing devices that connect people around the world. You will own the full development lifecycle of test solutions, ensuring that our phased arrays, routers, and power units meet the highest standards before reaching end users. This position requires a high degree of ownership, collaboration, and innovation to solve complex problems in a fast-paced environment. You will be instrumental in pushing the boundaries of test engineering to support global connectivity and exploration.

Key facts

What you'll do

Develop and implement automated test solutions for high-volume consumer phased arrays, WiFi routers, power supplies, and upcoming products.

Select commercial-off-the-shelf hardware or design custom PCBAs to measure signals, apply flight-like loads, and power units under test.

Write automation software in Python to interact with units under test, test equipment, instrumentation, field data, and production documentation systems.

Collaborate closely with design engineers, manufacturing engineers, and test lab teams to drive design and infrastructure improvements that increase product reliability and yield.

Challenge assumptions and work to find simple solutions to complex problems in a demanding production environment.

Analyze circuit performance and develop functional test plans that validate product requirements and uncover potential failure modes.

Design and troubleshoot printed circuit board assemblies to ensure test coverage is robust, scalable, and aligned with manufacturing processes.

Utilize test equipment and measurement techniques such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, electronic loads, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, vector signal generators, and source measurement units.

Support environmental testing regimes including HALT, HASS, thermal, vibration, and TVAC to validate reliability under extreme conditions.

Maintain a thorough understanding of electronics reliability, failure mechanisms, and metrology to improve test strategies and reduce measurement uncertainty.

Develop object-oriented software in Python and C/C++ to create scalable, maintainable test frameworks and integration with production systems.

Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a highly cross-functional role, influencing stakeholders and aligning with program objectives.

Adhere to extended work hours or weekend schedules as required to meet mission-critical deadlines and support launch or deployment timelines.

Ensure all test solutions comply with ITAR requirements and relevant export control regulations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or other engineering discipline is required.

1+ years of experience with hardware development or electronics test engineering, including internship and extracurricular experience, is mandatory.

1+ years of programming experience is required for this role.

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

Thorough understanding of electronics reliability, failure mechanisms, and metrology is required.

Experience with environmental testing such as HALT, HASS, thermal, vibration, and TVAC is required.

Strong understanding of computers and programming languages including Python and C/C++ is required.

Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross-functional role with senior leadership, engineering, manufacturing, and test teams.

Experience analyzing circuits and developing functional test plans is required.

Experience designing and troubleshooting PCBAs is required.

Experience with test equipment and measurement techniques is required to verify and validate product requirements.

Understanding of electrical schematics and electronics manufacturing to analyze and improve test coverage is required.

Understanding of software development practices and object-oriented design is required.

Nice to have

Experience applying statistical analysis and data analysis to test results.

Familiarity with production test flows and manufacturing test equipment.

Knowledge of RF and microwave measurement techniques for satellite communications systems.

Experience with automated test frameworks and continuous integration in a hardware development environment.

Understanding of firmware and low-level hardware control relevant to test integration.

Practical notes

This role is based in Bastrop, Texas, and requires on-site presence at the work location.

Travel is not currently required for this position.

Employment eligibility verification will be conducted in accordance with SpaceX policies.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for this position.

The compensation details listed reflect the minimum and maximum base salary for this role in this location.