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HVAC Controls Engineer

SpaceX

Hawthorne, CAJob$100–130K/yrPosted 1 day agoStill listed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$100–130K/yr
Location
Hawthorne, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree

Job overview

SpaceX seeks an HVAC Controls Engineer for its critical infrastructure team in Hawthorne, California. The engineer will design, build, and commission control systems and automated solutions for manufacturing, research and development, production, and critical asset management. The role includes industrial control panel design, PLC development, equipment deployment, and project coordination. The posting requires an engineering degree and at least one year of relevant professional experience.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

EPLANElectromechanicsEthernetAccrualCADTown Halls/ForumsSensorsAutomationPLCSQLCommissioningInfrastructureAutomation SystemsPythonSCADAProcess Integration.NETC#HVACBuilding Automation SystemsHVAC ControlsDelta ControlsElectromechanical SystemsMechatronic SystemsElectrical Schematic CADPLC ProgrammingSiemens TIA PortalBeckhoff TwinCAT 3HMI ProgrammingSCADA ProgrammingFieldbus NetworksSerial CommunicationEthernet CommunicationElectrical Control Panel CommissioningNECNFPA 79UL 508AProduction MachineryIndustrial SensorsVision SystemsDispense SystemsTemperature ControllersLaser Distance SensorsNut RunnersWritten CommunicationVerbal CommunicationProblem SolvingIndependent WorkTeamworkIterative DesignManufacturing

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Engineering1+ Years Automation Controls ExperienceU.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident or Refugee or Asylee or Authorized

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
401(k) Match
Parental Leave
Paid Time Off

Full job 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.

HVAC CONTROLS ENGINEER

As a member of the critical infrastructure team, you will design, build, and activate some of the world’s most technically advanced manufacturing facilities. As an automation & controls engineer, you will develop and build a great variety of automated solutions to aid in rapid R&D, production and critical asset management. The automation & control team designs, builds, and commissions complete control systems from the ground up. We are looking for talent with an amazing track record in developing, troubleshooting, and maintaining control systems for production and critical infrastructure. This position is based in Hawthorne, CA.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Participate in initial equipment conceptual development and carefully balance product specifications, process requirements, layout complexity, cost, and lead-time limits

  • Lay out new industrial electrical control panels which are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant, and create electrical, pneumatic and fluid schematics

  • Simulate processes to inform design engineers of the conceptual viability of automation proposals (tools include ABB Robotstudio, Kuka Sim, and Siemens Process Simulate)

  • Architect, write, and debug PLC code with an emphasis on generating code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable for manufacturing applications

  • Generate aesthetically simple screens for complex machinery while providing sufficient feedback for troubleshooting

  • Manage electrical cabinet builds, field wiring, pneumatic, and fluid plumbing

  • Select and size electrical and electromechanical components such as servo motors and controllers

  • Deploy automated processes and equipment into production

  • Set, implement, and maintain schedules and budgets to ensure project completion

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline

  • 1+ years of professional experience in the design and commissioning of automation and controls systems for industrial applications

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Knowledge in building automation systems for critical infrastructure

  • Mechanical (HVAC) controls and wiring, Delta controls

  • Process integration and electromechanical/mechatronic systems experience

  • Electrical schematic CAD experience using EPlan

  • C#, .NET, python and/or SQL experience

  • PLC programming experience, preferably Siemens TIA Portal and Beckhoff TwinCat 3

  • HMI and SCADA programming experience

  • Field bus networks, serial communication and Ethernet communication

  • Hands-on experience building and commissioning high quality electrical control panels and electro-mechanical systems

  • Knowledge of NEC, NFPA 79, UL508A codes

  • Exposure to a wide variety of production machinery, industrial sensors, and equipment (vision systems, dispense systems, temperature controllers, laser distance sensors & Nut-Runners, etc.)

  • Excellent communication skills both written and verbal

  • Experience in fast-paced iterative design and manufacturing environments

  • Experience solving complex problems with little to no supervision on schedule as an individual or as a member of an integrated team

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed

  • Must be willing to travel to other locations

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range: Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00 Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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 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 [email protected].

How this job compares

Set against the 2,357 open Automation Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$100–130K/yr
  • California median$129–180K/yr226 salary ranges
  • US median$104–153K/yr1,326 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $115K, is 24% below the California median midpoint ($152K) — in the lowest quarter of Automation Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 286 open Automation Engineer jobs in California and 2,357 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Automation Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 1,963 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 1,062 of the 2,357 open Automation Engineer jobs (45%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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