Sr. Software Engineer, Continuous Integration

About the role

This position focuses on building and maintaining the infrastructure that supports Starship software development. You will manage the systems that allow hundreds of engineers to integrate code and deploy updates to launch pads and vehicles. The role requires ownership of the end-to-end continuous integration pipelines that validate flight software before it reaches a rocket. You will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, performance, and scalability of the development toolchain used by the Starship team. This involves collaborating closely with software engineers, integration specialists, and launch operations to remove bottlenecks in the build and test process. You will drive initiatives to automate manual steps and improve the developer experience across the organization. The successful candidate will help define the technical standards for how software is built, tested, and delivered in a high-velocity environment. You will play a key role in enabling the rapid iteration required for the full reusability of Starship.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop and maintain the core infrastructure for continuous integration that orchestrates builds, tests, and deployments for Starship software.
• Design scalable on-premises compute workflows that optimize resource utilization and reduce turnaround time for engineering teams.
• Partner with software engineers to debug complex integration issues that span multiple repositories and services.
• Implement robust tooling to monitor the health and performance of the CI pipelines and associated infrastructure.
• Collaborate with other engineering teams to identify and resolve bottlenecks in the build and test lifecycle.
• Create automated solutions that integrate new hardware, software, and test frameworks into the existing CI environment.
• Evaluate and adopt new technologies to improve the speed, reliability, and security of the software delivery process.
• Lead efforts to standardize build configurations and test strategies across large, cross-functional engineering groups.
• Work directly with launch operations to ensure that software updates are integrated and validated in time for mission milestones.
• Contribute to the development of internal dashboards and reporting tools that provide visibility into integration status and quality metrics.
• Mentor junior engineers on best practices for managing complex build systems and troubleshooting pipeline failures.
• Drive the adoption of infrastructure as code principles for the continuous integration environment.
• Analyze large sets of build and test data to identify trends, failures, and opportunities for optimization.
• Act as a technical leader in defining the roadmap for the Starship continuous integration platform.

Requirements

• 5+ years of software engineering experience with a Bachelor degree in computer science, engineering, math, or a STEM field.
• Alternatively, 7+ years of professional software development experience if you do not hold a degree.
• Ability to work extended hours and weekends when necessary to support mission-critical integration and launch activities.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex software build and test systems at scale.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycle and version control workflows.
• Proficiency with debugging tools and methodologies for identifying and resolving pipeline failures.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-responsibility environment where reliability is critical.
• U.S. citizenship, U.S. lawful permanent residency, refugee, or asylee status, or eligibility for U.S. Department of State authorization is required due to ITAR regulations.
• Willingness to adhere to SpaceX policies regarding equal opportunity employment and workplace conduct.

Nice to have

• Proficiency with Bazel or comparable build systems.
• Programming fluency in Rust, C++, Python, or Go.
• Background in creating infrastructure and tools used by large engineering teams.
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools and interest in using AI to enhance testing, code quality, and workflows.
• Strong critical thinking and first-principles problem-solving abilities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Capacity to manage high levels of responsibility in a fast-paced environment.

Practical notes

• This role is full-time and based at the Starbase, Texas location.
• Employees in this role may be required to work extended hours, including weekends, to meet mission needs.
• U.S. citizenship, U.S. lawful permanent residency, refugee, or asylee status, or eligibility for U.S. Department of State authorization is required.
• SpaceX is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and ensures that all employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodations may be requested through the official channels if needed during the application process.