IT Systems Administrator, Launch

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation and holidays

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in Hawthorne, California, is seeking a highly skilled IT Systems Administrator to support its launch environment. This pivotal role involves augmenting and deploying IT infrastructure, monitoring systems, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues. Candidates should have over three years of experience in IT administration, familiarity with Linux and Windows server environments, and expertise in network administration. Strong scripting skills are preferred. Benefits include competitive salary and comprehensive healthcare options.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in IT systems administration.
• Hands-on experience with Linux or Windows server administration.
• Experience with enterprise network administration.

Responsibilities

• Augment and deploy new IT infrastructure supporting mission-critical networks.
• Monitor IT services and respond to incidents.
• Collaborate with teams to identify and resolve technical issues.

Skills

Linux server administration

Windows server administration

Network administration

Scripting (Bash/Powershell/Python)

Firewalls administration

Education

High school diploma or equivalency certificate

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

Puppet

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.

IT SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR, LAUNCH

SpaceX is looking for a highly skilled and knowledgeable IT Systems Administrator to support the networking, compute administration, and application support needs of our launch environment. This role will be pivotal to the enablement of safe and sustained launch cadence, directly supporting our goals of making humanity a multiplanetary species. Candidate must be comfortable working on mission‑critical systems with a sense of urgency appropriate to the responsibilities while maintaining attention to detail and operational excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Augment and deploy new IT infrastructure, including networking, server, and desktop hardware directly supporting mission critical networks across the country.
• Perform periodic systems upgrades and patches in between critical operations, sometimes on weekends and evenings.
• Monitor IT services and respond aggressively to incidents to maintain systems performance.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to proactively identify and resolve potential technical issues with systems deployments.
• Author and maintain documentation for IT systems, from systems overview documents and design drawings to procedures.
• Leverage automation tools and contribute to IT systems engineering efforts.
• Ensure that systems are configured and maintained in compliance with industry and cybersecurity standards (e.g. ITAR, ISO, NIST).

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
• 3+ years of experience in IT systems administration.
• Hands‑on experience with Linux or Windows server administration.
• Experience with enterprise network administration and deployment.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Working knowledge of network protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, SNMP, NTP, PTP etc), firewalls administration and cybersecurity technologies.
• Proficiency in scripting (Bash/Powershell/Python) and automation frameworks (Terraform, Ansible, Puppet).
• Familiarity with Active Directory and multi‑platform authentication/identification environments.
• Experience with virtualization platforms and tools.
• Understanding of Layer 1 configuration best practices and multiplexing technologies.
• Working knowledge, including the ability to setup, configure, upgrade, manage, and troubleshoot, Windows‑based systems and services (i.e. SCCM, Active Directory).
• Exposure to real‑time systems and industrial telemetry networks.
• Experience with configuration management, provisioning, infrastructure as code, and other DevOps concepts and tools.
• Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate with internal/external customers, vendors, management etc. in both formal and informal situations.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be willing to work extended hours, weekends, and night shifts as launch manifest dictates.
• Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral.
• Willing to be on after‑hours on‑call rotation.
• Willing to travel (up to 20%) and potential time at sea supporting marine systems.
• Ability to lift up to 30lbs. unassisted.
• Ability to work at heights.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay range: IT Systems Administrator: $95,000.00 - $115,000.00 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.

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, the 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 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 Affiantive Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].