Job brief: Optical Test Engineer, AI Satellites (Starmind)

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 2026-11-09 (today); last confirmed on the board 2026-11-09.
• The apply link opens boards.greenhouse.io, the address SpaceX's board gives for this job.
• The same title for the same place was listed 1 other time on this board in the last 90 days: several openings, or a re-posted job.
• No layoff notices (WARN) under this name in the state files JoRoute reads.

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

• Pay: Not published
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Bastrop, TX
• Posted: 2026-11-09

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

Level: Entry level. The posting asks for 1+ years of experience.

Must have

• These systems must operate in the extreme environment of space while delivering the connectivity, control, power distribution, and processing needed for orbital AI inference.
• Bachelor’s degree in physics or an engineering discipline
• 1+ years of hands-on laboratory or work experience in optics, photonics, or laser technology (university lab, student project, or internship experience qualifies)
• Master's degree or PhD in physics or an engineering discipline
• 4+ years of hands-on laboratory or work experience in optics, photonics, laser technology (university lab, student project, or internship experience qualifies)
• Some travel may occasionally be required

Conditions

• This position is 100% onsite and requires relocation to the Austin-Bastrop area if not already local – remote or hybrid work not considered
• Ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed for mission critical deadlines
• 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

• Design, build, and operate optical metrology and test systems
• Use test data to troubleshoot issues with optical flight hardware
• Automate optical test equipment and data collection
• Instruct technicians on operation of test equipment
• Inform optical flight hardware designs to enable efficient test operations

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 engineer jobs in Texas: $131k a year (305 listings, 32 employers). This listing does not publish pay to compare.
• Across SpaceX's 2,908 open listings, 60% 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.
• The pay an offer would carry.

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2. How many people are you hiring for this role, and is it a new opening or a re-posted one?
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