Principal AI Engineer, Special Programs
SpaceX · Washington, United States +1 · 2mo ago
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 AI ENGINEER, SPECIAL PROGRAMS
This team focuses on engineering and deploying AI capabilities (models, APIs, tools, and integrations) for U.S. federal agencies. You'll work closely with product, research, infrastructure, and legal/governance teams to make AI and future models maximally useful for missions while upholding safety, transparency, and ethical standards.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design, build, and optimize integrations between AI frontier models (e.g., Grok family) and government systems, platforms, and data environments
- Collaborate on custom SDKs, APIs, developer tools, and documentation tailored for government and enterprise developers
- Partner with agency stakeholders to understand requirements, prototype solutions, and iterate rapidly based on real-world feedback
- Ship production-grade code and features with a bias toward speed, simplicity, and measurable impact
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or another STEM discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a degree
- 6+ years of hands-on software engineering experience building scalable systems, APIs, or AI/ML applications (strong Python proficiency, other languages a plus)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Experience working with large language models, generative AI, or agentic systems—either in research, production, or applied engineering
- Familiarity with government or public sector technology environments (federal civilian agencies, state/local gov, or regulated industries like healthcare, finance, or infrastructure)
- Strong product sensibility: ability to translate ambiguous stakeholder needs into concrete technical solutions
- Demonstrated ability to write clean, maintainable, high-performance code under tight timelines
- Exceptional problem-solving skills and intellectual curiosity—you thrive on hard, ambiguous challenges
- Excellent communication skills; you can explain complex technical concepts to non-technical partners clearly and concisely
- Prior work on AI safety, governance, red-teaming, or responsible AI deployment
- Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), or API orchestration
- Background in policy-adjacent technical roles, civic tech, or public-interest technology
- Contributions to open-source AI projects or developer tools
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- 20% travel may be required to government sites
- This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay range:
Principal AI Engineer: $220,000.00 - $350,000.00/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 accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the 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.