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Practising for the listing Software Engineer, Beam Planning (Starlink). Its requirements are filled in below. When you have an answer you like, paste it with your CV in Career Mirror to see which of the job's skills it shows.

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Software Engineer, Beam Planning (Starlink)
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.

SOFTWARE ENGINEER, BEAM PLANNING (STARLINK)

At SpaceX we’re leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to millions of users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. All Starlink satellites have laser terminals to connect with other Starlink satellites, creating a large laser mesh network in orbit. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact and are looking for the world’s best engineers to help maximize Starlink’s utility for communities and businesses around the globe.

As a Beam Planning Software and Network Software Engineer on the Starlink program, you will be solving challenges that improve our ability to fully utilize the hardware we have deployed. Our goal is to provide customers with the best possible satellite internet experience, often providing under-served communities with affordable, life-changing broadband internet access.

Our software engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the software they create, including development, testing, and support. We expect our engineers to close the feedback loop between software design and real-world performance. In this role, your software will have a meaningful and measurable impact on the world.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop highly reliable, real-time software that determines which beams (user, laser, gateway, etc) should be formed in order to provide the best possible user experience for our low-latency, high-bandwidth satellite-based global network.

• Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews.

• Develop prototypes and manage experiments to prove out key design concepts.

• Develop tools for software development and deployment, data analysis and visualization, and test execution across multiple environments, including virtualized hardware environments, real hardware-in-the-loop simulations, and on-orbit testing.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a degree (internship experience is applicable).

• Development experience in assembly, C, or C++.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Knowledgeable in real-time rendering, game engine development, physics simulation, or other real-time, resource-constrained, high-performance computing.

• Knowledgeable in network topology, numerical optimization techniques, graph theoretic approaches, or convex optimization.

• Developed, debugged, and deployed software that has been used in real world applications/projects.

• Creative approach to problem solving, exceptional analytical skills, and engineering fundamentals.

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing needs and requirements.

• Experience with distributed systems and internet services.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS :

Pay range:
Level I: $135,000.00 - $160,000.00/per year
Level II: $155,000.00 - $185,000.00/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.

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, stock options, 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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Requirements found

None recognised — general questions are used.

What this posting asks for

Level: Mid level — The posting asks for 2+ years of experience.

Main responsibilities

Develop highly reliable, real-time software that determines which beams (user, laser, gateway, etc) should be formed in order to provide the best possible us…
Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews.
Develop prototypes and manage experiments to prove out key design concepts.
Develop tools for software development and deployment, data analysis and visualization, and test execution across multiple environments, including virtualize…
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a …
Development experience in assembly, C, or C++.

Competencies an interviewer will look for

Technical skill Core
In the posting: “SOFTWARE ENGINEER, BEAM PLANNING (STARLINK)” · “We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unbox…” · “As a Beam Planning Software and Network Software Engineer on the Starlink program, you will be solving challenges that improve our ability to fully utilize t…”
Show it by: Names the tools, languages or systems used and how; Explains a technical choice and its trade-off.
Planning and organisation Core
In the posting: “SOFTWARE ENGINEER, BEAM PLANNING (STARLINK)” · “As a Beam Planning Software and Network Software Engineer on the Starlink program, you will be solving challenges that improve our ability to fully utilize t…” · “You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary …”
Show it by: Shows how priorities were set when everything was urgent; Mentions deadlines met and how.
Problem solving Core
In the posting: “As a Beam Planning Software and Network Software Engineer on the Starlink program, you will be solving challenges that improve our ability to fully utilize t…” · “Creative approach to problem solving, exceptional analytical skills, and engineering fundamentals.”
Show it by: Describes a real problem, the options considered and the one chosen; Shows how the cause was found, not just the fix.
Customer focus Core
In the posting: “Our goal is to provide customers with the best possible satellite internet experience, often providing under-served communities with affordable, life-changin…” · “Develop highly reliable, real-time software that determines which beams (user, laser, gateway, etc) should be formed in order to provide the best possible us…”
Show it by: Puts the customer's need in their own words; Shows a result for the customer, not only for the company.
Attention to detail and quality Core
In the posting: “Our software engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the software they create, including development, testing, and support.” · “Develop tools for software development and deployment, data analysis and visualization, and test execution across multiple environments, including virtualize…”
Show it by: Gives an example of an error caught before it caused harm; Names the check or standard they used.
Communication Supporting
In the posting: “Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.”
Show it by: Adapts the message to the listener; Gives an example of explaining something clearly in writing or speech.
Data and analysis Supporting
In the posting: “Develop tools for software development and deployment, data analysis and visualization, and test execution across multiple environments, including virtualize…”
Show it by: Uses a number to describe the situation or the result; Explains what the data showed and what was done with it.
Stakeholder management Supporting
In the posting: “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, ge…”
Show it by: Shows how they aligned people with different goals; Explains how they handled a 'no' from someone senior.

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Practice questions

Tell me about yourself. Dedicated step-by-step practice.
If an interviewer asks something improper How to respond to questions about age, family, origin or health.
Built from this posting (7):
Walk me through a piece of work where you used your strongest technical skill. What exactly did you do? From this posting
You have three urgent tasks due today and time to finish only two. How do you decide? From this posting
Tell me about a difficult problem you solved at work. How did you find the cause? From this posting
Describe a time you went out of your way to solve a customer's problem. From this posting
Tell me about a time you had to explain something complex to someone outside your field. From this posting
Tell me about a time you used data or numbers to make a decision. From this posting
Tell me about a time you had to get agreement from people who wanted different things. From this posting
This posting reads as Software engineering: its questions come first.
Tell me about the hardest bug you have tracked down. How did you find the cause? Software engineering
Describe a technical design decision you made and the trade-off behind it. Software engineering
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate in a code review. Software engineering
Production is down and you are the first engineer to notice. What do you do in the first 30 minutes? Software engineering
How do you decide what to test before you ship a change? Software engineering
Walk me through a feature you built from start to finish. What tools and languages did you use? Software engineering
Tell me about a time you helped a less experienced engineer get unstuck. Software engineering
Your estimate for a feature turns out to be badly wrong halfway through. What do you do? Software engineering
Describe a time you handled an upset customer or colleague.
Tell me about a time you had several deadlines at once. How did you decide what to do first?
Give an example of a mistake you caught before it caused a problem.
Tell me about a time you taught someone how to do something.
Describe a time you took the lead without being asked.
Tell me about a time you had to explain something complicated in simple terms.
Describe a process you improved.
Do you have any questions for us?
Why do you want to work here?
Why is there a gap in your employment? Difficult question
Why did you leave your last job? Difficult question
Why are you changing careers? Difficult question
What is your greatest weakness? Difficult question
What are your salary expectations? Difficult question
You seem overqualified for this role. Why do you want it? Difficult question
Improper-question practice: How old are you? / Do you have children? / Where are you from originally?
A customer is angry about a delay you did not cause. What do you do?
How do you keep track of many open customer requests?
Tell me about a time you could not give a customer what they wanted.
You find that the inventory count does not match the system. What do you do?
Tell me about a time a shipment or delivery went wrong.
How do you make sure safety rules are followed on a busy shift?
Two managers ask you to book the same room at the same time. What do you do?
How have you used spreadsheets in your work?
Tell me about a time you had to enter or check a lot of data accurately.
Tell me about a sale or agreement you are proud of.
A prospect says your price is too high. How do you respond?
How do you keep your pipeline organised?
Tell me about a technical problem you solved on your own.
You find a bug right before a release. What do you do?
Walk me through how you would check whether a report's numbers are right.