Site Reliability Engineer, AI Infrastructure (Starshield)
About this role
Managing GPU and CPU infrastructure deployments inside Top Secret datacenters forms the core daily routine for engineers on the Starshield team at SpaceX. Professionals handle GPU-as-a-service offerings for external users on bare metal and virtualized setups while designing and validating massive AI clusters exceeding 100,000 GPUs. Collaboration with internal AI teams happens constantly to build scalable, operable software products supporting national security missions.
Engineers joining this group develop automation scripts for on-premise Kubernetes and AI clusters, manage core databases and distributed storage, and oversee the complete lifecycle of mission-critical services. Candidates who thrive here bring a solid foundation in Linux administration, infrastructure automation, and a willingness to navigate security clearance requirements for government intelligence operations.
What you will do
- Manage and deploy GPU and CPU infrastructure within Top Secret datacenters.
- Provide operational support for GPU-as-a-service on bare metal and virtualized platforms for external customers.
- Design, validate, and productize solutions for AI clusters scaling past 100,000 GPUs.
- Build automation tools to deploy and administer on-premise Kubernetes and AI clusters alongside operating systems.
- Deploy and maintain core infrastructure components including databases, monitoring tools, and distributed storage systems.
- Collaborate directly with artificial intelligence engineers to build scalable and maintainable products.
- Improve the full service lifecycle from initial design and deployment through operation and refinement.
- Configure monitoring and alerting systems to ensure high availability across supporting infrastructure.
What you need
- Hold a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, IT, or an engineering discipline alongside at least one year of professional site reliability engineering or DevOps experience, or possess three years of SRE or DevOps experience without a degree.
- Demonstrate at least one year of professional experience working with Linux operating systems.
- Bring practical experience utilizing infrastructure tools such as Terraform or Ansible.
- Show working experience with containerization technologies including OCI containers and Kubernetes.
- Possess scripting capabilities in languages like Bash or Python.
- Demonstrated development background using Python, C++, or Go.
Nice to have
- One or more years of experience with Python and Python-based development frameworks
- Experience managing Kubernetes clusters beyond basic usage
- Knowledge of the Linux boot process and systems configuration
- Understanding of distributed databases and data modeling
- Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
- Access to a 401(k) retirement plan
- Short and long-term disability insurance and life insurance
- Paid parental leave, paid sick leave, and 3 weeks of paid vacation
- 10 or more paid holidays per year
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan and long-term incentives
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the pay range for this role?
Pay ranges from $125,000.00 to $160,000.00 for Level 1, and $145,000.00 to $195,000.00 for Level 2. The exact base salary and level depend on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.
What are the security clearance 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, candidates must initiate the application process promptly after accepting the offer.
What additional compensation is available for clearances?
Individuals with an active clearance receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.
Are there extra working hour expectations?
Employees must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed. Travel domestically and globally may also be required in the future.