xAI

OT Network Engineer, Physical Infrastructure - Memphis

Posted 2 Months Ago

2 Locations

In-Office

Mid level

Information Technology

The Role

Design, deploy, operate, and troubleshoot highly available, low-latency networks for AI supercomputer campuses. Responsibilities include data-center and campus networking, hardware deployment, network automation, monitoring and telemetry, change management, cluster support, incident response, documentation, fiber infrastructure, segmentation, and cybersecurity compliance. The role provides on-call operational support, collaborates with infrastructure and site teams, supports campus expansions, and requires up to 20% travel, physical site work, and occasional extended hours.

Summary Generated by Built In

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 making life multiplanetary and expanding consciousness to the stars.
SpaceXSI is building Super Intelligence to help humanity understand the universe. Our teams are building the full Super Intelligence stack: from our Colossus supercomputers, to Grok models, to our suite of applications, including Grok Bot, Grok Build, Grok Imagine, Grok Voice, and X. We're creating a powerful flywheel where more compute trains better models, better models power more useful products, and what we learn from people using those products shapes what we build next.

OT NETWORK ENGINEER, PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

SpaceXSI is looking for an exceptional network engineer with experience in mission-critical or large-scale production environments to support our supercomputer infrastructure. As a member of the Physical Infrastructure Networking team, you will provide operational and designs services for physical infrastructure networks. The ideal candidate thrives in intense, high flux environments, brings a strong sense of urgency balanced with operational excellence, communicates effectively, and demonstrates high levels of technical acumen.
RESPONSIBILITIES:

Design and implement highly available networks, carefully balancing various routing and redundancy technologies depending on unique requirements between production and launch
Design and maintain mission data center and site networks in accordance with company network standards. Collaborating with adjacent infrastructure and enterprise teams
Evaluate, procure, and deploy network hardware including switches, firewalls, multiplexing and SDWAN appliances
Contribute to ever maturing network automation tooling; implementing configuration analysis, linting, and scalability into the deployment framework
Plan and coordinate network outage windows with stakeholders to perform software updates, hardware refreshes, and general network maintenance (sometimes on weekends and evenings)
Troubleshoot and resolve network-related issues, publishing root cause analysis (RCA) documentation and hosting retrospective data reviews
Provide direct networking support during launch and test campaigns and be on-call or provide real-time support as networking responsible engineer during operations
Proactively tailors network monitoring to provide ever more valuable operational telemetry with emphasis on issue detection prior to operational impact
Continuously create and update network documentation, including architecture overviews, design drawings, and operational procedures
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to proactively identify and resolve potential technical issues with network designs, especially in regards to systemic, cascading failure modes, and superficial redundancy
Perform job walks with customers, vendors, and contractors to gather network requirements and create implementation plans
Ensure networks are configured and maintained in compliance with industry and cybersecurity standards (e.g., ITAR, ISO, NIST), with particular attention to controls network segmentation and security
Design and validate resilient, scalable multi-site OT network topologies optimized for critical facilities
Audit, and enforce zero-trust firewalls to decouple facility infrastructure from the corporate DMZ
Author comprehensive system/network architecture drawings, IP/VLAN schemes, and data flow diagrams
Support on-site system deployment, physical network cutovers, and new site commissioning

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or other STEM discipline and 3+ years of professional network engineering experience; OR 5+ years of professional network engineering experience in lieu of a degree
2+ years of hands-on experience in Operational Technology (OT) networking, critical facility infrastructure, industrial automation, or controls engineering
Experience designing, deploying, supporting, and troubleshooting Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks in latency sensitive and/or industrial environments
Experience with multiple network vendors either in production or lab environments
Experience with GitOps and Infrastructure as Code Frameworks, both as user and contributor

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Strong understanding of the OSI model and network standards
Hands-on experience with Cisco, Arista, and Juniper data center class switches
Experience with Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) and fiber optics infrastructure
Extensive knowledge of common enterprise and media protocols
Experience with switch port security features, network segmentation, QoS, multicast, and redundancy protocols
Familiarity with network monitoring tools and layer 1 testing tools
Proficiency in scripting (Bash/PowerShell/Python) and automation frameworks (Terraform, Ansible, etc.)
Linux and Windows system administration experience professionally or from labs
Industry standard certifications such as CCNA or CCNP
Experience supporting real-time systems, industrial control networks, or operational technology (OT) environments in aerospace, defense, energy, oil & gas, or similar high-reliability industries
Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate with internal/external customers, vendors, and management in both formal and informal situations

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to work in tight quarters; physical dexterity is necessary to perform job functions
Availability for extended hours and/or weekends as the schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility is required
Ability to provide 24x7 on-call support in emergency situations and participate in an after-hours on-call rotation
Willingness to travel (up to 20%, including flying to other sites worldwide) and potential time at sea supporting marine systems
Ability to lift 30 lbs
Ability to work at heights
Ability to drive (active valid driver’s license)

SpaceXSI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

Skills Required

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or another STEM discipline and 3+ years of professional network engineering experience
Alternatively, 5+ years of professional network engineering experience in lieu of a degree
Hands-on experience designing, deploying, supporting, and troubleshooting Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks in latency-sensitive, industrial, or data-center environments
Experience with multiple network vendors in production or lab environments
Experience using and contributing to GitOps and Infrastructure as Code frameworks
Understanding of the OSI model and network standards
Hands-on experience with Cisco, Arista, Juniper, or NVIDIA Spectrum-X data-center switches
Experience with RoCEv2 Ethernet AI/HPC fabrics; InfiniBand experience is a plus
Knowledge of AI training and inference traffic patterns, collectives, congestion, ECMP, adaptive routing, or NCCL
Experience with WDM, large-scale fiber plants, OTDR, and acceptance testing
Experience with port security, network segmentation, QoS, multicast, and redundancy protocols
Familiarity with network monitoring and Layer 1 test tools, including operational telemetry and dashboards
Proficiency in Bash, PowerShell, or Python and automation frameworks such as Terraform or Ansible
Professional or laboratory Linux and Windows system administration experience
Industry-standard certification such as CCNA or CCNP
Experience supporting real-time systems, industrial control or OT networks, or high-reliability environments
Excellent communication skills with customers, vendors, management, and internal teams
Ability to pass applicable background checks for site access
Ability to work in tight quarters, at heights, and with required physical dexterity
Ability to lift 30 pounds
Active valid driver’s license and ability to drive
Availability for extended hours, weekends, 24x7 emergency support, and an after-hours on-call rotation
Willingness to travel up to 20% between supercomputer campuses and related sites

xAI Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about xAI and has not been reviewed or approved by xAI.

Healthcare Strength — Healthcare is described as comprehensive, including medical, dental, vision, mental health support, and fertility benefits. Additional protections such as disability and life insurance, plus HSA/FSA options, are also outlined.
Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is positioned as a core component of total rewards alongside high base salaries for technical roles. Pre‑IPO stock grants are highlighted as enabling participation in potential company growth.
Leave & Time Off Breadth — The package includes flexible or generous PTO, paid holidays, and paid sick days. Company materials also describe flexible vacation policies intended to help manage fast‑paced workloads.