← All roles

Manager, Vehicle Engineer (Starlink Aviation)

SpaceX· Starlink - Global Operations
Apply on company site
Woodinville, WA$165k - $245kfull-timePosted 5d ago

About the role

Senior engineering manager and individual contributor responsible for leading vehicle leads and owning airframe product lines, roadmaps, and delivery for Starlink Aviation installations on aircraft.

Responsibilities

  • Hire, develop, and performance-manage vehicle leads for assigned aircraft types
  • Own the product roadmap for each assigned airframe, from prospects and development through customer launch and in-service reliability, including the features required to meet customer needs
  • Sequence demand, design changes, configuration upgrades, and improvements in installation time, reliability, and cost into production, with named owners and measurable results
  • Own the live plan. Keep aircraft data, intake forms, surveys, and customer requirements current with Fleet Operations and Mission Management so the plan stays detailed and executable
  • Own customer requirements for the life of the product. Question, accept, or reject them as appropriate, decide customer-impacting trades, and contribute to Statements of Work before deal closure
  • Own the fleet configuration matrix and kit definition, including antenna, power, router, cabin networking, and related hardware. Decide which configuration applies from customer data, in production and in the field
  • Own engineering change and issue records for assigned part numbers. Release masters, bills of materials, drawings, and change records in ERP/PLM before production commits a slot
  • Set installation architecture standards for antenna mounting, equipment placement, power, harnessing, and cabin networking, and close trades on mass, drag, radio-frequency performance, and install hours
  • Align software, maintenance, integration design, operations, and quality to one shared, executable requirements set for the airframe and the customer
  • Lead certification strategy and execution, including supplemental type certificates, approved model lists, test plans, conformity, and engagement with the FAA, EASA, and designated engineering representatives
  • Own production and supply-chain readiness. Secure and allocate factory capacity and build-plan positions so output matches customer activation priorities
  • Drive the airframe schedule, clear critical-path blockers, and escalate in time to hold or improve customer launch dates
  • Own in-service reliability, including field failures, dispatch risk, and the design queue that keeps aircraft flying. Turn on-wing findings into the standard design or process
  • Support first-of-type installations on site, and travel to airline and maintenance sites for first articles, fleet assessments, and escalations
  • Be the single point of contact for the airframe’s status, capabilities, and production readiness, coordinating certification, manufacturing, engineering, quality, Mission Management, and the customer
  • Brief leadership on roadmap status, design readiness, production rate, and risk to activation dates

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, aeronautical, or other engineering discipline
  • 7+ years of professional experience taking electro-mechanical or avionics products from design through certification and fielded operation
  • 3+ years leading engineers who own a product line, vehicle, or similarly scoped system

Skills

Required:Airframe product roadmapping
Nice to have:Program management related to certified airborne hardwareFAA/EASA certification experience

Benefits

  • Long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards
  • Potential discretionary bonuses and Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • Short and long-term disability insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid parental leave
  • 3 weeks of paid vacation and 10+ paid holidays per year
  • Paid sick leave as per company policy
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About SpaceX

defense-aero-and-safetysetter-30setter-30-2026-q1wing-list-2026wing-list-2026-giga-stage
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at SpaceX