SpaceX Verified

Aerospace, Space Exploration, Telecommunications, Manufacturing

Sr. Electrical Design Engineer, Laser Powder Bed Fusion Printers (Raptor)

Hawthorne, CAFull TimeSenior$140,000–$230,000 /yrPosted 2 months ago

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Required skills

electrical hardware
PCBAs
electrical schematics
mechanical drawings
root cause investigations
production issues
hardware validation
benchtop testing
environmental testing
circuit simulation

Nice to have

industrial automation
laser systems
high-power electronics
motion control
additive manufacturing equipment
highly reliable products

Role summary

SpaceX is seeking a Senior Electrical Design Engineer for their Raptor Printer team, focusing on Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) printers used in rocket engine production. This role involves end-to-end ownership of electrical systems, from concept to production deployment, driving requirements definition, circuit design, development, qualification, and integration. The engineer will be responsible for designing new electrical hardware, improving reliability and manufacturability, performing root cause investigations, and validating hardware through testing. Collaboration with cross-functional teams and proficiency in circuit design, simulation, PCB layout, and communication interfaces are key. Experience with industrial automation, laser systems, and high-power electronics is preferred.

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.

SR. ELECTRICAL DESIGN ENGINEER, LASER POWDER BED FUSION PRINTERS (RAPTOR)

The Raptor Printer team designs, builds, and integrates in-house Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) printers that enable high-volume production of Raptor engines. We own the full product lifecycle of these critical manufacturing systems—from concept through production deployment—and continuously push the boundaries of additive manufacturing reliability, performance, and scale.

As a Senior Electrical Design Engineer on this team, you will be the extreme owner of electrical systems for next-generation LPBF printers. You will drive requirements definition, circuit design, development, qualification, and seamless integration into production. This role offers end-to-end ownership of complex electromechanical systems in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment where your designs directly impact rocket engine production rates and reliability.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Design new electrical hardware, PCBAs, and implement targeted modifications to improve reliability, manufacturability, and expand printer capabilities

Create and release documentation for fabrication of PCBs

Provide extreme ownership of electronic hardware on additive machines from development through implementation 

Drive changes to electrical schematics and mechanical drawings that improve reliability, manufacturability, and cost

Perform root cause investigations to characterize off-nominal unit behavior and mitigate risk 

Derive engineering justification to resolve production issues throughout assembly, test, and activation

Design test setups and execute hardware validation through benchtop and environmental testing 

Work closely with engineers from adjacent disciplines (mechanical, software, automation and controls, additive, etc.) to deliver tightly integrated, high-performance hardware

Drive system trades, requirements capture, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, hardware bring-up, debugging, documentation, manufacturing, test, and activation of complex electrical designs

Challenge assumptions, question requirements, learn from your mistakes, and approach problems with an open mind

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering 

5+ years of industry experience designing circuits, electronic products, or hardware

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

5+ years of industry experience designing circuits, electronic products, or hardware

Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or similar engineering degree

 Experience with industrial automation, laser systems, high-power electronics, motion control, or additive manufacturing equipment

2+ years of professional experience rapidly designing and delivering highly reliable products

2+ years of professional experience testing, troubleshooting, and debugging electronics

Experience with sensors, embedded microcontroller design and firmware, and FPGA hardware and software development

Experience with high-speed data acquisition systems, high-accuracy motion systems, high-speed scanning systems, or similar camera/telemetry-based control systems

Experience producing high-rate designs which are optimized for manufacturability and cost 

Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross-functional role

Experience developing new hardware, not just incremental updates 

Experience working through system trades, pushing back on requirements, and following through with verification and validation 

Self-starter with demonstrated experience on multiple projects making hardware work within demanding time and resource constraints 

High level of proficiency with designing signal conditioning circuits, digital circuits, and switching power converters, as demonstrated by successful fielding of multiple products 

Proficiency with schematic capture and board layout, producing clean and maintainable designs, preferably in Altium or Circuit Maker 

Knowledge of digital communications interfaces including SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet, and RS422 

Knowledge of common circuit blocks including filters, power supplies, and microcontrollers. 

High level of proficiency with circuit simulation tools and formal analysis methods, such as de-rating and worst-case circuit analysis 

High level of proficiency with lab equipment for development testing of circuits and components, including sophisticated test definition, troubleshooting, data collection, and data reduction techniques 

Proficient at board level rework in support of development testing 

Solid working knowledge of EMI/EMC underlying physics and specifications, along with best practices for design, and strategies for addressing test exceedances 

Proficiency writing software for test automation, data review, and design analysis, preferably in MATLAB or Python 

Cross functional project management skills and ability to collaborate with other engineering disciplines, as demonstrated on multiple programs 

Excellent verbal and written communication skills 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:Pay Range:Level 3: $140,000.00 - $230,000.00

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 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 and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and 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.

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