Sr. Hardware / Infrastructure Site Reliability Engineer (Starlink)

SpaceX; Union Hill-Novelty Hill (WA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) plan

Medical/Vision/Dental coverage

Paid time off (vacation & holidays)

Employee shuttle service

Job summary

SpaceX, the leader in spaceflight technology, seeks an SR. Hardware/Infrastructure Site Reliability Engineer to scale Starlink infrastructure.

You will design, deploy, and operate on‑prem compute resources and core services while partnering with software teams to build robust, scalable systems. You will influence hardware lifecycle, automate deployments, and improve reliability for millions of daily users across a global constellation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/IT/Engineering with 5+ years in SRE/DevOps; or 7+ years in lieu of a degree.
• Linux experience: 2+ years in production environments.
• Experience with Terraform, Ansible, or similar infrastructure tools.
• Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Bash, Python, or similar scripting languages.
• Development experience in Python, Go, C++, or C.

Responsibilities

• Develop automation to deploy and manage on-premise compute resources.
• Deploy and manage core infrastructure such as databases, monitoring and distributed storage.
• Collaborate with software engineers to create scalable, operable and maintainable products.
• Engage in and improve the whole lifecycle of hardware—from inception to retirement.
• Invent tools and processes that enable fast, accurate deployment systems.
• Hands-on integration and troubleshooting across the Starlink stack.
• Create and manage core infrastructure and software libraries.
• Identify areas for improvement and deliver innovative solutions to boost velocity.

Skills

Linux admin

Terraform

Ansible

Docker/Kubernetes

Bash/Python scripting

Python/Go/C/C++

TCP/IP networking

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IT/Engineering

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

SR. HARDWARE / INFRASTRUCTURE SITE RELIABILITY ENGINEER (STARLINK)

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.

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 9M+ 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.

As an engineer focused on Starlink’s software and network infrastructure, you will design, operate and scale the infrastructure we use to run the world’s largest satellite constellation and manage a network that handles millions of daily users worldwide. These positions cover a variety of areas ranging from Site Reliability Engineering, to Developer Operations, to our internal Kubernetes platforms. You will develop automation to deploy and manage on-premise compute resources, create highly scalable and maintainable software products, and directly collaborate with engineering across the board.

Responsibilities

• Develop automation to deploy and manage on-premise compute resources
• Deploy and manage core infrastructure such as databases, monitoring and distributed storage
• Closely collaborate with software engineers to create highly scalable, operable and maintainable products
• Engage in and improve the whole lifecycle of hardware—from inception and design, through deployment, operation, scaling and retirement
• Invent tools and processes that enable fast, accurate, and easy-to-use development and deployment systems
• Hands-on integration and troubleshooting across the entire Starlink stack
• Create and manage core infrastructure such as databases and software libraries
• Identify areas for improvement and create innovative solutions that enable high developer velocity

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems/IT, or an engineering discipline and 5+ years of professional experience in systems administration, site reliability engineering, or DevOps; OR 7+ years of professional experience in systems administration, site reliability engineering, or DevOps in lieu of a degree
• 2+ years of professional experience with Linux operating systems
• Experience with Terraform, Ansible, or other infrastructure tools
• Experience with containerization technologies (i.e. Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience in Bash, Python, and/or other scripting languages
• Development experience in Python, Go, C++, or C

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of experience with Python and Python-based development frameworks
• Strong understanding of operating systems, virtualization, and hypervisor technologies
• Knowledge of Linux boot process and systems configuration
• Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment & monitoring
• Focus on performance bottlenecks and performance improvement techniques
• Experience with automatically managing dozens, hundreds, or thousands of servers
• Strong networking knowledge of TCP/IP
• Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate with customers, peers, management etc. in both formal and informal situations

Additional Requirements

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

Compensation and Benefits

Pay Range: Level 3: $165,000.00 - $230,000.00

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 in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

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.

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 [e-mail].