Principal Operations Engineer (Application Software)

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. PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS ENGINEER, APPLICATION SOFTWARE Do you want to be part of the team that builds the software SpaceX uses to design, build, launch, and operate rockets and satellites? Do you want to help Application Software scale as the company grows in launch rate, complexity, sites, compute, and acquisitions? Do you want to work with SpaceX leadership, take on nebulous problems with no obvious owner, and turn them into future-looking strategy the org can actually run? As the Principal Operations Engineer for ASW, you will do all of these. The Application Software team is looking for a dedicated individual to directly support the ASW executive team through growth strategy, AOP / capital and headcount planning, building a site activation plan, and many other strategic and tactical problems. 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 with the company — across Corporate Functions, Launch and Missions, Flight Software, Supply Chain and Logistics, and Enterprise / Applied AI. You will take the poorly scoped, future-looking questions — what ASW should look like at the next order of magnitude — and drive them to a point of view, a plan, an owner, and accountability of seeing the plan through. This is not a slide-only job: when a plan is blocked on a tool, a rack, or a missing integration, you get your hands dirty and contribute to the software or hardware build yourself. RESPONSIBILITIES: • Run the Application Software (ASW) operating cadence with the director and leadership team: weekly/monthly rhythm, decision log, and the staff plan that matches company demand to teams • 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 acquired teams land • 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 • Redesign intake, prioritization, and SLAs so work enters ASW through one process — not a different path per team, site, or acquired org • Tackle nebulous, multi-org problems with no playbook yet; pull a future-looking ASW growth strategy (org, sites, platforms, compute) out of ambiguity and drive it to a decision • Get hands-on where it unblocks the plan: write software, land an integration, rack and cable hardware, bring up a server row, or join a site/hardware build until it is actually live • Lead a team of 2-3 engineers/analysts; hold a short metric set and use it to change behavior BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: • 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 operations work • 5+ years of experience in operations, strategy, program management, or technical leadership in a high-rate engineering or software environment PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: • Master’s degree in management science & engineering, operations research, industrial engineering, or similar • Track record of owning or heavily contributing to an AOP / annual budget (headcount + opex + capex) for a technical org • Experience forecasting and standing up compute capacity: servers, GPUs, storage, server racks, power/cooling, hardware BOM, and vendor lead times • Experience standing up operations at new sites and/or running M&A diligence and post-merger integration for software, IT, or technical teams • Proven ability to take an undefined, cross-functional problem and produce a durable strategy — not just a short-term workaround • Ability to contribute directly to software (scripting, services, internal tools, integrations) and/or hardware builds (racks, servers, networking, site bring-up) rather than only coordinating them • Comfort with ambiguous executive problems; strong quantitative chops (SQL, Excel, Python, AI) without over-instrumenting; can write a one-pager leadership will actually read • Ability to influence without authority across engineering, recruiting, finance, IT, facilities, and site leadership • Bias for action; willing to walk a rack row, a factory floor, or a finance deck when that is what the problem requires ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed • Must be willing to travel frequently to SpaceX sites COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: Pay Range: Level 3: $180,000.00 - $275,000.00 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 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