Lead Hardware Reliability Engineer (Starlink Aviation)
Content + Source + Freshness • 17 Dec 2025 • 95% confidence
Offer value
This position scores high due to its leadership role in a pioneering technology area, significant salary potential, and the opportunity to work on reliability-critical products.
- Competitive salary: $125,000–$175,000/year
- Leadership role in cutting-edge technology
- Chance to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
- High-pressure responsibilities not for everyone
Pros
- Leadership opportunities to mentor staff and influence product quality.
- Involvement in revolutionary internet technology.
- Attractive compensation and benefits package.
Cons
- High-stakes responsibilities that may lead to stress.
- Onsite work with limited flexibility for remote arrangements.
- Potential travel requirements which may disrupt work-life balance.
Who it's for
Mid / Senior-level • Onsite
Good fit
- Experienced reliability engineers
- Leaders eager to guide teams
- Professionals passionate about aerospace technology
Not recommended for
- New graduates without relevant experience
- Candidates expecting a flexible remote work schedule
- Individuals who prefer less challenging roles
Motivation fit
Key skills
About the job
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.
LEAD HARDWARE RELIABILITY ENGINEER (STARLINK AVIATION)
Starlink is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more. Leveraging advanced satellites and user hardware coupled with our deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations, Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world.
As the Lead Hardware Reliability Engineer on the Starlink Aviation team, you will have the opportunity to use your knowledge, experience, and creativity to manage a team of engineers and specialists focused on ensuring reliability and quality of the Starlink Aviation product through design, manufacturing, test, and flight. You will dive deep into the details to identify, understand, and solve difficult technical problems. You will provide input to design and development of new and existing hardware and processes. Your work will be engaging and hands-on, taking place in our brand-new Woodinville office, on the shop floor, in the lab, and in the hangar to provide Starlink service to aircraft worldwide.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead and mentor a small team of engineers, technicians, and specialists focused on end-to-end hardware reliability for Starlink Aviation (long-term reliability testing during NPI, build reliability during production, flight reliability in the fleet)
- Develop the team by enabling opportunities suited to each member that align with the strategic goals of the Starlink Aviation program
- Investigate hardware failures and anomalies in test, production, and the fleet. Identify and mitigate the immediate and underlying failure root causes to reduce risk and improve reliability of designs and processes, ensuring major hardware concerns are escalated expeditiously and effectively and that appropriate resources are deployed using effective communication
- Responsible for ensuring long-term product reliability of the designed hardware and ensuring that design requirements are adequately set to enable program goals and meet the reliability requirements of certification bodies
- Responsible for creating tools and metrics to understand hardware performance in the fleet and leveraging the data to drive reliability improvements for future designs
- Responsible for configuration management, change management, and risk management to enable highly reliability hardware
- Responsible for operations of Starlink Aviation returns and root causing of returned hardware, driving design improvements based on data and feedback
- Collaborate with multiple engineering disciplines, customers, and Starlink production to maximize reliability across all areas
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
- 3+ years of experience in a reliability, manufacturing, quality, test, and/or design engineering role
- 1+ years of experience leading an engineering team
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Master’s degree in an engineering discipline
- 3+ years of experience leading engineering teams leading a team of 5+
- Demonstrated experience training and mentoring junior engineers
- Demonstrated experience working in a highly adaptive and iterative environment
- Ability to influence other organizations through strong engineering/business rationale and data
- Ability to effectively organize, assign, and track work/deliverables
- Ability to define scope of work independently and execute accordingly
- Ability to identify and analyze production process improvements for rate and quality
- Experience root causing PCB, PCBA and Electromechanical assemblies
- Working experience in an ISO9001/AS9100 or equivalent quality system
- Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem-solving approaches
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed
- This role is based in Woodinville, WA and must be onsite. Remote work will not be considered
- Ability to travel up to 25%
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay range:
Hardware Reliability Engineer/Lead: $125,000.00 - $175,000.00/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 in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal 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.
