Site Reliability Engineer, Kubernetes Platform (Starshield)

Posted 4 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Hawthorne, CA, USA
In-Office
125K-175K Annually
Junior
Aerospace • Other
The Role
Design, operate, and scale on-premise infrastructure for the Starshield satellite constellation. Build automation for Kubernetes cluster deployment and management, operate core infrastructure (databases, monitoring, distributed storage), collaborate with software teams, troubleshoot across the stack, improve service lifecycle, and ensure high availability through monitoring and performance improvements.
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 enabling human life on Mars.

SITE RELIABILITY ENGINEER, KUBERENTES PLATFORM (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 network infrastructure, you will design, operate and scale the infrastructure we use to run the world’s largest government satellite constellation. These positions cover a variety of areas ranging from Site Reliability Engineering, Developer Operations, and our internal Kubernetes 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.

RESPONSIBILITES:

  • Develop automation to deploy and manage on-premise Kubernetes clusters
  • Deploy and manage core infrastructure such as databases, monitoring and distributed storage
  • Closely collaborate with software 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
  • Hands-on integration and troubleshooting across the entire Starshield stack 
  • Identify areas for improvement and create innovative solutions that enable high system availability

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems/IT, or an engineering discipline and 1+ years of professional experience in site reliability engineering or DevOps; OR 3+ years of professional experience in site reliability engineering or DevOps in lieu of a degree
  • 1+ years of professional experience with 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:

  • 1+ 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 dozens, hundreds, or thousands of servers (eg: Terraform or Ansible)
  • Strong networking knowledge of TCP/IP
  • 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
  • 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 1: $125,000.00 - $150,000.00
Level 2: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00

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.

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 computer science, information systems/IT, or an engineering discipline and 1+ years SRE/DevOps experience OR 3+ years SRE/DevOps experience in lieu of a degree
  • 1+ years of professional experience with Linux operating systems
  • Experience with Terraform, Ansible, or other infrastructure tools
  • Experience with containerization technologies (OCI containers, Kubernetes)
  • Experience scripting in Bash, Python, or similar languages
  • Development experience in Python, C++, or Go
  • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance as a condition of employment
  • ITAR eligibility: must be U.S. citizen/national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations
  • 1+ 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, CI/CD, build, deployment & continuous monitoring
  • Familiarity with build technologies such as Bazel and Makefiles
  • Understanding of distributed databases and data modeling
  • Strong networking knowledge of TCP/IP
  • Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance

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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

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The Company
Austin, Texas
8,879 Employees
Year Founded: 2002

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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