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SpaceX

Design Criteria Engineer (Falcon & Dragon)

SpaceX · Hawthorne, CA

Posted about a month ago · $100,000.00 - $130,000.00

or apply directly on SpaceX's site. We never take the application ourselves.

Is this posting real?

This role has been open
30 days
SpaceX's roles stay open a median of 45 days
Reposted
No
Salary listed
Yes
52% of SpaceX's roles list one
Ghost-job risk at SpaceX
high
1459 stale, 43 reposted of 2,362 open
Hiring momentum
3062 roles opened in the last 90 days
↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
Last confirmed on the employer's board
2026-09-17

Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from SpaceX's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for SpaceX.

About this role

As a Design Criteria Engineer at SpaceX, you will ensure that design processes and criteria are adhered to for flight, launch, and recovery systems. Your role will involve critical peer reviews of hardware designs, developing design criteria for new systems, and driving improvements in vehicle design through collaboration with hardware teams. You will also create specialized design and analysis tools to support other engineering groups.

Our read on this posting4.4out of 5
benefits
5/5
freshness
4/5
career value
4/5
role clarity
4/5
pay transparency
5/5

Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of SpaceX as an employer.

What you need

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of professional experience in a hardware engineering role

Nice to have

  • Master's degree in an engineering discipline
  • Hardware experience performing fabrication, assembly, and/or testing
  • Experience with aircraft, launch vehicles, spacecraft, or other aerospace systems
  • Experience with at least one commercial FEA package (NASTRAN, ABAQUS, or ANSYS)
  • Hardware ownership on an award-winning engineering project or competition team

What you get

  • Base salary range for Level I: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00/year
  • Base salary range for Level II: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00/year
  • Long-term incentives in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards
  • Potential discretionary bonuses
  • Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage

Worth weighing

  • Must be available to work long hours and weekends as necessary
  • No specific technologies or tools mentioned in the must-haves, which may indicate flexibility in the tech stack
  • The role involves significant responsibility in ensuring compliance with design criteria, which may be high-pressure

Summarised from SpaceX's posting. Read the full original.

Listed by SpaceX on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-09-17. PitchMeAI is not the employer.

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