Sr. Software Engineer, AI Infrastructure (Starshield)

SpaceX; Union Hill-Novelty Hill (WA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical/Vision/Dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off and holidays

Shuttle service to Redmond

Job summary

SpaceX is hiring a Senior Software Engineer, AI Infrastructure (Starshield) to design, deploy, and scale on-premises GPU/CPU infrastructure for top‑secret government missions. You will build automation for Kubernetes clusters, manage AI deployments at scale, and collaborate with AI engineers to deliver reliable, high‑performing software systems.

Seeking experts in Linux, Kubernetes, Python/C++/Go, and infrastructure tooling (Terraform, Ansible).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, information systems/IT, or engineering, or 7+ years of related experience.
• 5+ years of experience with Linux operating systems and Kubernetes.
• Experience with Terraform, Ansible, or other infrastructure tools.
• Experience with containerization technologies (OCI containers, Kubernetes).
• Scripting in Bash or Python; development in Python, C++, or Go.

Responsibilities

• Manage GPU/CPU infrastructure deployments to Top Secret data centers.
• Provide support for GPU as a service on bare metal and virtualized platforms.
• Design, validate, and productize AI cluster solutions at 100k+ GPU scale.
• Develop automation to deploy and manage on-premise Kubernetes/AI clusters and OS.
• Deploy and manage core infrastructure such as databases, monitoring and storage.
• Collaborate with AI engineers to build scalable, operable products.
• Improve lifecycle management from design to operation and refinement.
• Ensure high availability via monitoring and alerting; identify improvement opportunities.
• Mentor and train junior engineers; lead the team to technical excellence.

Skills

Kubernetes

Linux

Python

C++

Go

Bash

Terraform

Ansible

Networking

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering or related field

Tools

OCI containers

Kubernetes (cluster management)

Docker/Container tooling

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.

SR. SOFTWARE ENGINEER, AI INFRASTRUCTURE (STARSHIELD)

At SpaceX we're leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy the Starshield constellation. Starshield is the world's largest US government satellite constellation and is tasked with providing immediate access to critical intelligence and national security data for the US government anywhere on the globe. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system - receivers that allow users to connect within minutes, and the software that brings it all together. We've only begun to scratch the surface of Starshield's global impact and are looking for best-in-class engineers to help us further our ambitious goals.

As an engineer focused on Starshield's software and GPU infrastructure, you will design, operate and scale the infrastructure which supports critical national security missions. These positions cover a variety of areas ranging from Site Reliability Engineering, Developer Operations, and GPU 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:

• Manage GPU/CPU infrastructure deployments to Top Secret data centers
• Manage and provide support for GPU as a service for external customers on bare metal hardware and virtualized platforms
• Design, validate, and productize solutions for AI clusters (100k+ GPU scale)
• Develop automation to deploy and manage on-premise Kubernetes\AI clusters, and operating systems
• Deploy and manage core infrastructure such as databases, monitoring and distributed storage
• Closely collaborate with AI engineers to create highly scalable, operable, and maintainable products
• Engage in and improve the whole lifecycle of services -- from inception and design, through deployment, operation and refinement
• Monitoring and alerting supporting systems to have high availability
• Identify areas for improvement and create innovative solutions that enable high system availability
• Mentor and train junior engineers
• As a senior engineer you must lead the team to technical excellence - your decisions guide the team

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

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

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• 5+ years of experience with Python and Python-based development frameworks
• Experience managing Kubernetes clusters, not just using them
• Knowledge of Linux boot process and systems configuration
• Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment & continuous monitoring
• Understanding of relevant build technologies, such as Bazel and Makefiles
• Focus on performance bottlenecks and performance improvement techniques
• Understanding of distributed databases and data modeling
• Experience with automatically managing thousands of servers (eg: Terraform or Ansible)
• Strong networking knowledge of TCP/IP
• Cloud virtualization experience (as the cloud provider)
• Experience using NVIDIA GPU deployment stacks (Blackwell/Rubin)
• Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate with customers, peers, management etc. in both formal and informal situations
• Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
• Must be willing to travel domestically and globally in the future when needed
• This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. While the clearance may not be immediately necessary upon hire, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:

Level 3: $165,000.00 - $270,000.00

• 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.
• Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

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 Affimative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out [e-mail].