Principal Network Engineer, AI Infrastructure (Starshield)

PRINCIPAL NETWORK ENGINEER, AI INFRASTRUCTURE (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. The Starshield team is building highly reliable in-space mesh networks, designing secure systems to guarantee access to space, designing next-gen communication and sensing software, and more.

As a Principal Network Engineer you will drive the operation, build and deployment of the Starshield data center network, which supports critical national security missions. You and your teammates will own the network design and be responsible for proposing and implementing continual improvements to add more capabilities and customers. You will also be responsible for monitoring and improving network security, improving network performance and reliability, and optimizing network deployments.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage network infrastructure and deployments to Top Secret data centers
• Design, validate, and productize high-speed copper and optical connectivity solutions for AI clusters (100k+ GPU scale)
• Collaborate with ML training teams to translate workload communication patterns into concrete interconnect topology and optical reconfigurability requirements.
• Contribute to various tools for rapid deployments (ZTP/custom provisioning tools)
• 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
• Collaborate with hardware, software, and network engineers to improve the Starshield network design
• Assist in updating system configuration and firmware
• Build automation for network devices, operational and deployment tools
• Mentor and train junior network engineers
• As a principal engineer you must lead the team to technical excellence – your decisions guide the team

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or engineering discipline AND 7+ years of professional networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions or cloud and web-scale networks; OR 10+ years of professional networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions or cloud and web-scale networks in lieu of a degree
• 7+ years of networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions and/or cloud and GPU networks (internship/co-op experience qualifies)
• Layer-1 experience (e.g., transport, DWDM, optical fiber, circuit troubleshooting, activations, etc.)
• Hands-on 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 with physical troubleshooting of fiber
• Deep understanding of datacenter networks including but not limited to:
  • Connectivity (Ethernet, IPv4, IPv6 and MPLS)
  • Routing (BGP, OSPF, VXLAN)
  • Switching and routing
  • InfiniBand/NVLink
  • NVIDIA GPU deployment stacks (Blackwell/Rubin)
• Experience implementing network security functions
• Cisco, Juniper, Arista or other industry certification
• Ability to work independently and in a team, take initiative, and communicate effectively
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• 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.
• Must be willing to travel domestically and globally in the future when needed
• Must be available for on-call rotations
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Level 3: $210,000.00 - $340,000.00

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.

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