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.
PRINCIPAL NETWORK ENGINEER (STARLINK GROUND NETWORK)
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 7M+ 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 a Principal Network Engineer, you will drive the operation, build, and deployment of our network around the world. You will be a key component in managing and expanding our global footprint, improving network performance and reliability, and optimizing our deployments.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manage and expand network interconnections, network co-location sites and points of presence (POPs)
- 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 for the largest and most strategic Starlink customers
- Collaborate with hardware, software, and network engineers to create or improve Starlink products.
- Support sales teams with technical pre-sales support during the sales cycle by acting as the Starlink technical subject matter expert.
- Assist in updating system configuration and firmware
- Automation for network devices, operational and deployment tools
- Assist in architecting how Starlink satellite assets will integrate with more traditional ground networks
- Mentor and train junior network engineers
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in a technical or engineering discipline; OR 2+ years of professional networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions and/or cloud & web-scale networks in lieu of a degree
- 7+ year of networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions and/or cloud & web-scale networks (Internship/Co-op experience recognized)
- Layer-1 experience (Example: transport, DWDM, optical fiber, circuit troubleshooting, activations, etc.)
- 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 bringing up switches, routers, firewalls & servers
- Operational experience in a Linux production environment
- Experience with Python and/or bash scripting
- Routing Protocol experience
- 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)
- Strong familiarity with network health monitoring systems such as Observium, Solarwinds or Nagios
- Experience with hands-on experience bringing up network infrastructure
- Experience creating documentation and procedures
- Ability to run projects independently
- Experience working on wireless networks
- Experience working on software defined networking (SDN) and/or network function virtualization (NFV)
- Cisco, Juniper, Arista or other industry certification
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be willing to do some travel domestically and globally when needed (primarily for POP deployments & build out)
- Must be available for on-call rotations
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay range:
Network Engineer/Principal: $200,000.00 - $285,000.00/per year
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, stock options, 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.
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 Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [email protected].
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a technical or engineering discipline OR 2+ years of networking experience
- 7+ years of networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions
- Layer-1 experience with transport, DWDM, optical fiber, etc.
- Experience with deployment of networking hardware (Routers, Modems, Switch, Firewalls)
SpaceX Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SpaceX and has not been reviewed or approved by SpaceX.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants are a core part of total compensation, with periodic company-run tender offers that create liquidity before any public listing. These mechanisms can make the equity component feel materially valuable in practice.
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Healthcare Strength — The package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with on-site clinics and health resources at major sites. This breadth of coverage is presented as a strong element of the offering.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Major locations feature on-site amenities such as fitness facilities, food/coffee, clinics, and other conveniences. These lifestyle perks enhance day-to-day value alongside cash and equity.
SpaceX Insights
What We Do
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of making life multiplanetary. SpaceX has gained worldwide attention for a series of historic milestones. It is the only private company ever to return a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit, which it first accomplished in December 2010. The company made history again in May 2012 when its Dragon spacecraft attached to the International Space Station, exchanged cargo payloads, and returned safely to Earth — a technically challenging feat previously accomplished only by governments. Since then Dragon has delivered cargo to and from the space station multiple times, providing regular cargo resupply missions for NASA.
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