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Sr. Automation & Controls Engineer (Starship)

SpaceX · Cape Canaveral, FL

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Level
Senior
Team
Controls
Travel
15%
Degree
Required
Experience asked
5+ years
Industry
Aerospace & defense
Posted
30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A senior controls role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Cape Canaveral, FL. Design, operate, upgrade, and maintain SCADA infrastructure at launch and production sites.

They ask for
5+ years · degree required
Tools it names
PLC, Automation, Tooling
Day to day
about 15% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Controls Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $97k–$143k.

Median of the low and high ends of 252 live postings that list pay, out of 735 controls engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Florida plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 15 other live controls postings in Florida.

Experience asked
Typical (5+ years)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ PLC 75%
  • ✓ Automation 69%
  • ✓ New product launch 44%
  • ✓ Tooling 44%
  • AutoCAD 38%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 5+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

  1. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at SpaceX

    We found 3 people at this company and state: 3 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓

  2. 2

    Send a short, curious note

    One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.

    Write to Max → (free)
  3. 3

    Turn a reply into a short call

    Questions worth asking about this team:

    • What does a normal week look like on your team?
    • The posting says about 15% travel. Between which sites?
    • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
  4. 4

    Apply with someone vouching for you

    If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.

  5. 5

    Bring proof to the interview

    One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: SpaceX in Cape Canaveral

15 other open roles at this site · 3 people we found in controls roles at SpaceX.

All 16 roles at SpaceX →
Full description from SpaceXAs posted on their careers site.Show

Responsibilities

  • ◆Participate in the design and development of new and existing control systems critical to the launch organization
  • ◆Architect, write, and debug PLC code, emphasizing generating organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable code for manufacturing applications
  • ◆Design and implement the controls network infrastructure and interfaces to data acquisition systems trading cost, complexity and redundancy
  • ◆Design, operate, upgrade, and maintain SCADA infrastructure at launch and production sites
  • ◆Lay out new industrial electrical control panels that are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant and create electrical, pneumatic, and fluid schematics
  • ◆Manage electrical cabinet builds, field wiring, pneumatic and fluid plumbing
  • ◆Manage the checkouts and activation testing of new equipment
  • ◆Write robust and scalable procedures to activate technicians to quickly and reliably build and activate new control systems
  • ◆Provide hands on troubleshooting support for a variety of active and critical ground support equipment tooling
  • ◆Provide innovative solutions to special

requirements

and challenges faced by the team, which can range from integrating specialized equipment to challenging operating environment, packaging or loading

Qualifications

  • ✓Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechatronics engineering, or other engineering discipline
  • ✓5+ years of experience with instrumentation power systems design, data acquisition systems, or programable controllers (internship/project experience qualifies)

Preferred skills and experience

  • ✓Proficiency or direct hands-on experience in one or more of the following: electronics test rack design and build, data acquisition setup and field measurements, build of electronics systems or test systems for local assembly or industrial applications
  • ✓Exposure to a wide variety of production machinery, industrial sensors, and equipment (vision systems, dispense systems, temperature controllers, laser distance sensors, Nut-Runners, etc)
  • ✓Hands-on experience building and commissioning high quality electrical control panels and electro-mechanical systems
  • ✓Electrical schematic CAD experience using EPlan
  • ✓C#, .NET, python and/or SQL experience
  • ✓PLC programming experience, preferably Siemens TIA Portal
  • ✓HMI and SCADA programming experience, preferably with Ignition software
  • ✓Knowledge of NEC, NFPA 79, UL508A codes
  • ✓Able to collaborate with a wide range of people and effectively work in a team in a high-pressure, dynamic environment
  • ✓Able to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere

Requirements

  • ✓Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral
  • ✓Must be willing to work weekends and night shifts as needed; flexibility required
  • ✓Must be willing to travel to other launch sites in support of operational activities and launches; travel requirement is up to 15%
  • ✓Lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this position

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 .

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 .

Show full description ↓

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.

Sr. automation & controls engineer (starship)

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (collectively referred to as Starship) represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship will be the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tons to Earth orbit. The launch hardware Automation & Controls Engineer role will be hands-on in designing and activating the systems that build and launch Starship. The successful applicant will work as part of a team of elite engineers designing and improving the electrical, and control systems across our rocket launch facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base.

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