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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Application Software Engineer, Applied AI - **Company:** Space Exploration Technologies Corp. - **Location:** Vandenberg Village, CA, United States - **Experience:** Experienced - **Salary:** $125,000.0 - $160,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Clean Code Principles, Java (Programming Language), A/B Testing, Artificial Intelligence, Software Applications, C Sharp (Programming Language), Computer Programming, Databases, Internet Services, Python (Programming Language), PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Software Product Management, Scala (Programming Language), Software Construction, Software Deployment, Software Engineering, Software Systems, Data Streaming, Systems Architecture, Systems Integration, ReactJS, Large Language Models, Multi-Agent Systems, AngularJS, Kubernetes, Information Technology, Apache Kafka, Front End Software Development, Docker, Golang - **Published:** August 2, 2026 - **Apply:** https://jobs.localjobnetwork.com/apply/add/87910571/1 ## About the Role * Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or scientific discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree * 1+ years of experience in full stack development PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: * Hands-on experience evaluating, deploying, and integrating AI models into production systems * Proven track record of delivering (or significantly contributing to) end-to-end AI products or production AI-powered features * Proven track record of shipping real-world AI products from prototype through production deployment and iteration * Deep hands-on experience with modern LLM techniques: agentic systems, tool-use / function calling, multi-agent orchestration, advanced retrieval architectures, fine-tuning, and structured outputs * Experience building production evaluation systems (LLM-as-judge, automated eval harnesses, A/B testing, red-teaming) and AI observability/monitoring (tracing, quality metrics, safety, cost) * Experience designing and implementing production architecture for AI-powered applications with strong emphasis on reliability, safety, and responsible deployment * Previous experience in AI product design, development, integration, testing, and productionization * Strong software engineering foundation with expertise in designing production systems (including AI-powered and system-to-system architectures) and a track record of writing clean, maintainable code * Programming experience in Python, C#.NET, Go, Scala, Java, or similar * Production experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and modern data streaming (Kafka or similar) * Front-end experience (Angular, React, or similar) and database experience (PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar) * Demonstrated ability to stay current with rapidly evolving AI technologies and best practices * Ability to work under pressure and deliver results across multiple parallel priorities in a fast-paced, high-reliability environment ## Description The application software team is the central nervous system of SpaceX - we create mission critical applications that are used throughout SpaceX to accelerate launch vehicle production and flight as well as systems that allow Starlink to grow into a worldwide fast, reliable Internet service. We are looking for engineers who treat fellow teammates with fairness, respect, and support. In this Applied AI role within the Application Software team, you will design, evaluate, deploy, and integrate modern AI systems-including large language models and agentic systems-that power products and infrastructure across SpaceX. You will own the end-to-end lifecycle of AI capabilities from prototype to production while partnering closely with Product, Engineering, and Operations teams. We are looking for a strong software engineer with a proven track record of delivering AI products, including hands-on experience evaluating, deploying, and integrating AI solutions into real production systems. Aerospace experience is not required - rather we look for smart, motivated, respectful, collaborative engineers who love solving problems and want to make an impact on a super inspiring mission. You will have full ownership of challenging problems, working with a team of enthusiastic engineers with diverse perspectives to design and produce solutions that enable SpaceX to move towards our goals at a rapid pace. The success of the missions at SpaceX depends on the software that you and your team produce., * Develop highly reliable software solutions used across SpaceX, including AI-powered applications that accelerate production, flight, and Starlink operations * Create new applications that improve how SpaceX operates by incorporating modern large language models, agentic systems, and other AI capabilities * Own the full lifecycle of Applied AI systems: design, evaluation, deployment, monitoring, and iteration from prototype to production * Deep dive into users' problems to uncover high-leverage AI opportunities and deliver efficient, production-grade solutions * Architect production systems for agentic workflows, tool-use, multi-agent orchestration, advanced retrieval, and long-context applications that prioritize reliability, safety, and responsible deployment * Build and maintain rigorous evaluation frameworks (LLM-as-judge, automated benchmarks, online evaluation) and production observability/monitoring for AI quality, safety, latency, and cost * Stay at the frontier of LLM techniques and rapidly incorporate emerging best practices into production systems across SpaceX programs ## Related Videos - [Watch Tests Go Brrrr! : Getting Started with Cypress in ReactJS](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/282-watch-tests-go-brrrr-getting-started-with-cypress-in-reactjs) - [Docker Compose: Rediscovered](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1978-docker-compose-rediscovered) - [Go with the Flow: Stop the Leaks Before Your Memory's a Waterfall!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100073-go-with-the-flow-stop-the-leaks-before-your-memory-s-a-waterfall) - [You are not an AI developer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1148-you-are-not-an-ai-developer) - [Docker build without Docker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100114-docker-build-without-docker) - [The Software Engineer 2030: From Coder To AI Orchestrator? - Patrick Schnell](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1825-the-software-engineer-2030-from-coder-to-ai-orchestrator-patrick-schnell) ## Related Articles - [How to Become an AI Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/331-how-to-become-an-ai-engineer) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [MLOps And AI Driven Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/82-mlops-and-ai-driven-development) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [What is Software Engineering in the Age of AI?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/640-what-is-software-engineering-in-the-age-of-ai) - [Dev Digest 137 - AI'm not sure about this](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/485-dev-digest-137-ai-m-not-sure-about-this)