Job brief: Principal Operations Engineer (Application Software)

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: $180,000 to $275,000 a year
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Hawthorne, CA
• Posted: 2026-10-13

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

Level: Lead / staff. The title says "Principal".

Must have

• This person must be able to help with tactical planning that unblocks fast-paced software delivery while simultaneously informing long-term, robust strategies for how ASW grows wi…
• Bachelor’s degree in operations, engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, or a related technical field
• 7+ years of experience or education in management science and engineering, operations engineering, operations research, industrial engineering, or equivalent quantitative operatio…
• 5+ years of experience in operations, strategy, program management, or technical leadership in a high-rate engineering or software environment
• Master’s degree in management science & engineering, operations research, industrial engineering, or similar
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Conditions

• Must be willing to travel frequently to SpaceX sites
• 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

• Run the Application Software (ASW) operating cadence with the director and leadership team: weekly/monthly rhythm, decision log, and the staff plan that matc…
• Own the ASW AOP (headcount, opex, capex, vendors) from bottoms-up inputs through Finance review, in-year change control, and AOP-vs-actuals
• Own the M&A playbook and execute integrations: diligence on people, software, vendors, and data; day-1 / 30 / 100 cutover; keep vs. rewrite vs. retire; where…
• Own site activation for ASW: coverage model, local intake/support, hiring, a go-live plan aligned to first hardware, first shift, or first customer
• Own compute and hardware capacity: CPU/GPU/storage forecast; server-rack layout, power, cooling, and floor space with IT/facilities

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: $205k a year (902 listings, 45 employers). This listing is 11% higher.
• Across SpaceX's 2,898 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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