Electrical Test Engineer (Satellites) at SpaceX
Hawthorne, CA, United States
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.
ELECTRICAL TEST ENGINEER (SATELLITES)
SpaceX services a diverse range of clients and their payloads. Missions supporting scientific research, classified national security space, and commercial opportunities are all in work. As we expand our classified mission manifest, we are looking for electrical test engineers to join our team.
As an electrical test engineer, you will have the unique opportunity to design and develop test systems for all the electronic hardware on our satellites. Not only does this mean you will be working on space crafts, but you will be working on core components of the spacecraft such as flight computers, power converters, analog and digital circuit boards, and communication system units. You will be expected to create test solutions from the ground up, and your work will be the last line of defense before our vehicles get shipped out the door. Our fundamental goal is to improve humanity and ultimately to explore the stars; with it comes extreme responsibility to ensure the safety and reliability or our satellites and payloads.
We're looking for people who want to dive in and get their hands dirty and those who are not afraid to make important decisions and work to provide a data driven rationale. Every day we push the limits of what is possible through innovation, determination, and teamwork and we're only just beginning.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Design test solutions for flight hardware consisting of both in-house developed avionics hardware as well as commercial off the shelf components
Specify and drive creation of representative hardware test systems or system simulators to support software development and system verification and validation
Work closely with and consistently provide feedback to responsible design engineers, manufacturing engineers, and test lab teams to drive innovation in design and infrastructure to increase product reliability and yield
Own impact analysis and change incorporation to current test solutions for hardware upgrades or design improvements of existing hardware
Creatively root-cause test anomalies and failures during various states of testing and development to ensure they are understood and develop and implement mitigations
Work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams to represent avionics systems in defining scope, requirements, test coverage analysis and vehicle-level trades as designs move from concept to production
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, or an engineering discipline with an emphasis in electrical engineering and electronics
3+ years of experience with hardware development or test software development (significant academic projects, internships, and traditional professional experience all qualify)
2+ years of programming experience using Python, LabVIEW, SQL, MATLAB, or Embedded C/C++
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
Demonstrated skills in test engineering
Demonstrated skills in design of basic circuits for low voltage i/o control and data acquisition
Experience with test equipment and measurement techniques such as oscilloscopes, DMMs, DAQs, etc. to verify and validate electronic performance
Ability to read and understand electrical schematics
Knowledge with a range of digital and analog interfaces including GPIB, USB, VISA, TCP/IP, VLAN, CAN bus, SPI, I2C, analog-to-digital conversion
Ability to understand electronics designs to analyze and improve test coverage
Experience analyzing circuits and PCBA/Harness level schematics to develop functional test plans
Deep understanding of 100Mb/s and 1Gb/s Ethernet at both physical and application layers
Experience with RF test equipment including WiFi, Ka, Ku, E-Band and GPS
Understanding and experience in environmental testing such as vibration, shock, thermal, burn-in, TVAC and EMI/EMC
Experience with the development cycle of new product development or factory production
Experience with HASS/HALT
Object oriented software experience, python and C++ preferred
Familiarity with Linux and Windows operating systems
Ability to manage and maintain your project schedule
Ability to design custom mechanical parts needed for test systems designs (such as fixtures and enclosures)
Strong electrical debugging skills
Active Secret, Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance, or ability to obtain one desired but not required
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones
Ability to lift heavy harnesses and fixtures
Note that an active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
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 notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.
