Job brief: Software Engineer, Collision Avoidance (Starshield)

What JoRoute checked · Checked by JoRoute

• Listed on SpaceX's own job board. JoRoute does not take listings from job ads or recruiters.
• First seen by JoRoute 2026-11-04 (3 days ago); last confirmed on the board 2026-11-07.
• The apply link opens boards.greenhouse.io, the address SpaceX's board gives for this job.
• No other listing with this title and place on this board in the last 90 days.
• No layoff notices (WARN) under this name in the state files JoRoute reads.

What the listing says · Employer's own words, not checked

• Pay: $125,000 to $195,000 a year
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Hawthorne, CA
• Posted: 2026-08-31 · over 60 days ago

What the job asks · Employer's own words, not checked

Level: Mid level. The posting asks for 3+ years of experience.

Must have

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science discipline; or 3+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a degree
• 1+ year of professional experience in software development
• Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance, or the ability to obtain and maintain one
• 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 test
• Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.
• Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S.

Conditions

• Able to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical path development and/or critical on-orbit operations
• You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year.
• 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/…

Main duties

• Develop highly reliable and available software systems for managing thousands of satellites in low-earth orbit
• Develop prototypes to prove out key design concepts and quantify technical constraints
• Collaborate with other engineers to plan and organize the development of our products
• See your software through from start to finish: from figuring out the core needs to prototyping, developing, and testing; to rollout and beyond
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science discipline; or 3+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a …

Lines copied from the posting, not rewritten. "Preferred" or "nice to have" items are not listed as must-haves.

How it compares · Compared by JoRoute from listings

• Typical listed pay for software engineer jobs in California: $204k a year (903 listings, 46 employers). This listing is 21% lower.
• Across SpaceX's 2,896 open listings, 59% of those with a posting date were first posted more than 60 days ago. How SpaceX hires

What nobody outside the employer knows · Not known

• Whether the role is already filled or on hold: employers often leave listings up.
• How many people applied, and who reads the applications.
• Where in the published range an offer would land.

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1. Is this role still open, and when do you hope to fill it?
2. What are the interview steps, and when should I expect to hear back?

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