Principal Network Engineer (Starlink Ground Network)

SpaceX; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) retirement plan

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

Paid vacation and holidays

Employee discounts

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Principal Network Engineer for Starlink Ground Network in the Palo Alto area. You will lead efforts to manage interconnections, expand POPs, and drive performance improvements across a global satellite internet system.

You will mentor junior engineers, collaborate with hardware and software teams, and provide pre-sales technical support during sales cycles. This role requires travel and on-call rotations as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical or engineering discipline or 2+ years of equivalent networking experience.
• 7+ years of networking experience deploying enterprise or cloud/web-scale networks.
• Experience with Layer-1 transport, DWDM, optical fiber, and related troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Manage and expand network interconnections, POPs, and co-location sites.
• Improve network performance using metrics, capacity planning, and remediation.
• Lead integration and troubleshooting for Starlink key customers.

Skills

BGP

OSPF

IS-IS

Linux production

Python

Networking hardware deployment

SDN/NFV

Cisco/Juniper/Arista

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical/engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Observium

SolarWinds

Nagios

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.

PRINCIPAL NETWORK ENGINEER (STARLINK GROUND NETWORK)

At SpaceX we're leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world's most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world's largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to 7M+ users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system - thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We've only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink's potential global impact and are looking for best-in-class engineers to help maximize Starlink's utility for communities and businesses around the globe.

Responsibilities

• Manage and expand network interconnections, network co-location sites and points of presence (POPs)
• Improve network performance and reliability based upon system performance metrics, including capacity planning, failure detection and remediation
• Assist in capacity augmentation and network optimization deployments
• Lead network integration and troubleshooting efforts for the largest and most strategic Starlink customers
• Collaborate with hardware, software, and network engineers to create or improve Starlink products.
• Support sales teams with technical pre-sales support during the sales cycle by acting as the Starlink technical subject matter expert.
• Assist in updating system configuration and firmware
• Automation for network devices, operational and deployment tools
• Assist in architecting how Starlink satellite assets will integrate with more traditional ground networks
• Mentor and train junior network engineers

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical or engineering discipline; OR 2+ years of professional networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions and/or cloud & web-scale networks in lieu of a degree
• 7+ year of networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions and/or cloud & web-scale networks (Internship/Co-op experience recognized)
• Layer-1 experience (Example: transport, DWDM, optical fiber, circuit troubleshooting, activations, etc.)
• Experience with the deployment of networking hardware (Routers, Modems, Switch, Firewalls, etc..)

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Master's degree in a technical or engineering discipline
• Experience bringing up switches, routers, firewalls & servers
• Operational experience in a Linux production environment
• Experience with Python and/or bash scripting
• Routing Protocol experience
• Experience with physical troubleshooting of fiber & circuits
• Deep understanding of service provider networks including but not limited to:
• Connectivity (Ethernet, IPv4, IPv6 and MPLS)
• Routing (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS)
• Switching and routing
• Internet services (subscriber provisioning, BRAS, DNS, DHCP, NTP)
• Strong familiarity with network health monitoring systems such as Observium, Solarwinds or Nagios
• Experience with hands-on experience bringing up network infrastructure
• Experience creating documentation and procedures
• Ability to run projects independently
• Experience working on wireless networks
• Experience working on software defined networking (SDN) and/or network function virtualization (NFV)
• Cisco, Juniper, Arista or other industry certification

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to do some travel domestically and globally when needed (primarily for POP deployments & build out)
• Must be available for on-call rotations
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Compensation And Benefits

Pay range:

Network Engineer/Principal: $200,000.00 - $285,000.00/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 Aff… should reach out to [e-mail].