Sr. DSP Engineer (Starshield)

SR. DSP ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.

As a Sr. DSP engineer on the Starshield satellite team, you will be a part of a mission to provide global connectivity to the US government including immediate access to critical intelligence and national security data anywhere it is needed. You will work with a team of RF engineers, DSP engineers, software engineers, hardware engineers and end users to design and build systems for proliferated sensing in low earth orbit. You will work in a highly collaborative and fast-paced environment, where we are exploring unsolved problems and applying the SpaceX mindset of iterating rapidly to go from design and demo to operational capability at lightning pace.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive program-level decisions on sensor firmware and software designs
• Research novel solutions for large-scale RF sensing systems
• Design and test algorithms for on-orbit and ground-based sensor data processing
• Work in close collaboration with FPGA, RF/antenna, and software engineers to design and validate RF sensing systems
• Perform on-orbit demonstrations and testing

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or other STEM discipline and 5+ years of experience in digital signal processing engineering; OR 7+ years of professional experience in digital signal processing engineering experience in lieu of a degree 
• 5+ years of experience in system-level modeling and/or digital signal processing

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering with emphasis in communication systems and/or digital signal processing
• 3+ years professional experience working on RF sensors or related systems
• Experience modeling RF and channel impairments such as multipath, phase noise, group delay, fading and nonlinear distortion
• Experience with software-defined radios and frameworks, such as GNU Radio
• Knowledge of in MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python
• Knowledge of link budgets and analysis related to RF sensing systems
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:    

Pay Range:    
DSP Engineer/Senior: $160,000.00 - $225,000.00/per year

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.