Sr. Site Reliability Engineer, AI Infrastructure (Starshield)
About this role
Managing GPU and CPU infrastructure deployments to Top Secret data centers forms the core of daily operations for this role at SpaceX. The engineering group develops and maintains software and GPU platforms supporting the Starshield satellite constellation, which delivers intelligence and national security data for the US government.
Engineers in this group build automation for on-premise compute resources, design AI clusters scaled to over one hundred thousand GPUs, and manage bare metal hardware as well as virtualized platforms. Success in this position requires deep technical leadership, collaboration with AI teams, and the ability to guide services through their entire lifecycle from inception to deployment.
What you will do
- Manage GPU and CPU infrastructure deployments inside Top Secret data centers.
- Provide support and management for GPU as a service to external customers on bare metal and virtualized platforms.
- Design, validate, and productize solutions for AI clusters at a scale exceeding 100,000 GPUs.
- Develop automation tools to deploy and manage on-premise Kubernetes and AI clusters along with operating systems.
- Deploy and oversee core infrastructure elements including databases, monitoring systems, and distributed storage.
- Collaborate closely with artificial intelligence engineers to build scalable, operable, and maintainable products.
- Improve the full service lifecycle from initial design through deployment, operation, and ongoing refinement.
- Mentor junior engineers and lead the team toward high technical standards and architectural excellence.
What you need
- Possess a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems/IT, or an engineering discipline with 5+ years of professional Linux experience, or 7+ years of professional experience in software, DevOps, or site reliability engineering without a degree.
- Demonstrate at least 5 years of professional experience working with Kubernetes.
- Bring a minimum of 5 years of experience managing Linux operating systems.
- Show practical experience utilizing infrastructure tools such as Terraform or Ansible.
- Have hands-on experience with containerization technologies including OCI containers and Kubernetes.
- Prove proficiency in scripting languages like Bash or Python.
- Hold development experience in programming languages such as Python, C++, or Go.
- Meet U.S. government export regulations as a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible for required state department authorizations.
Nice to have
- 5+ years of experience with Python and Python-based development frameworks
- Understanding of the Linux boot process and systems configuration
- Familiarity with build technologies such as Bazel and Makefiles
- Experience using NVIDIA GPU deployment stacks including Blackwell and Rubin
- Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance
Benefits
- Company stock or long-term cash awards and potential discretionary bonuses
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan for discounted stock purchases
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan access
- Short and long-term disability insurance along with life insurance
- Paid parental leave, 3 weeks of paid vacation, and 10 or more paid holidays per year
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the salary range for the Senior Site Reliability Engineer role?
The base pay range for Level 3 is $165,000.00 to $265,000.00. The actual level and base salary are determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.
What clearance level is required for this position?
This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.
What are the expectations regarding working hours and travel?
You must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed. Additionally, you must be willing to travel domestically and globally in the future when required.
What citizenship requirements apply to applicants?
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. lawful permanent resident, a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.