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Sr. Network Engineer (Starshield)

Drive the operation, build, and deployment of the Starshield service provider network supporting national security missions.

Location
Hawthorne, CA
Compensation
$165k–$230k/yr
Level
senior
Type
full time

Posted by employer 3 months ago

First seen on Joblaze 3 months ago

Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago

Requirements

Experience
5–7 years
Education
Bachelor's degree

Not disclosed in this posting: work arrangement, visa sponsorship.

Benefits

401k Match Paid Vacation Paid Sick Leave Equity/Stock Options Paid Holidays Health Insurance Parental Leave

Joblaze summary

In the role of Sr. Network Engineer for Starshield at SpaceX, the individual will focus on the operation, construction, and deployment of a network that supports national security missions. Key skills include extensive experience with enterprise network solutions, proficiency in Layer-1 technologies, and a strong background in network security and optimization. This position is ideal for seasoned professionals with a technical degree or equivalent experience, particularly those who can navigate complex network environments and mentor junior engineers. The Starshield team is dedicated to advancing secure communication technologies for government use, leveraging SpaceX's innovative capabilitie

Joblaze insights

  • Listed about 3 months ago — first seen on Joblaze June 26, 2026. Last confirmed on SpaceX's careers page October 7, 2026.
  • This exact title is also open at 1 other location at SpaceX: Redmond, WA.
  • Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$128,000).
  • Starts above 64% of 14 comparable senior other roles in United States that list Ethernet we track (median $142,500 across 5 companies).
  • Ethernet appears in 1% of 2380 comparable senior other roles in United States; DWDM appears in 0.1% of 2380 comparable senior other roles in United States.

Quick facts

What's the salary range?
SpaceX lists $165,000–$230,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?
5–7 years of relevant experience for this Sr. Network Engineer (Starshield) role.
What's the tech stack?
Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Arista, BGP, Cisco, DWDM, Ethernet, IPv4.
What seniority level is this role?
SpaceX targets senior candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?
Full-time for this Sr. Network Engineer (Starshield) role at SpaceX.

From the original posting

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. NETWORK ENGINEER (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 Sr. Network Engineer you will drive the operation, build and deployment of the Starshield service provider 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.

RESPONSIBILITES:

  • Manage and expand network interconnections, network co-location sites and points of presence (POPs)
  • Manage network infrastructure and deployments to Top Secret datacenters
  • 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

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in a technical or engineering discipline AND 5+ years of professional networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions or cloud and web-scale networks; OR 7+ years of professional networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions or cloud and web-scale networks in lieu of a degree
  • Professional Layer-1 experience (e.g., transport, DWDM, optical fiber, circuit troubleshooting, activations, etc.)
  • Hands-on experience with the build-out and deployment of hardware at datacenters and interacting with datacenters (e.g., remote hands, cross-connect execution, etc.)
  • Experience bringing up switches, routers, firewalls and servers

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Master’s degree in a technical or engineering discipline
  • 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)
  • 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
  • Active 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: $165,000.00 - $265,000.00

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. 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:

Standard company text repeated across SpaceX's postings is omitted here.

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