Sr. Software Engineer, AI Infrastructure (Starshield)
About this role
Managing GPU and CPU infrastructure deployments to Top Secret data centers forms the core of daily responsibilities for the Senior Software Engineer, AI Infrastructure (Starshield) at SpaceX. Operating within the Starshield constellation team, the engineer designs, operates, and scales the infrastructure supporting national security missions, including GPU-as-a-service platforms and AI clusters at a 100k+ GPU scale.
SpaceX maintains this role to advance its satellite constellation infrastructure, requiring professionals who build automation for on-premise Kubernetes and AI clusters while collaborating directly with artificial intelligence engineers. Ideal candidates bring extensive experience with Linux, Kubernetes, and infrastructure management tools, alongside the capability to guide teams toward technical excellence and handle high-clearance national security requirements.
What you will do
- Manage GPU and CPU infrastructure deployments to Top Secret data centers.
- Provide support for GPU as a service for external customers on bare metal and virtualized platforms.
- Design, validate, and productize solutions for AI clusters at a scale of 100k+ GPUs.
- Develop automation to deploy and manage on-premise Kubernetes and AI clusters, as well as operating systems.
- Deploy and manage core infrastructure including databases, monitoring, and distributed storage.
- Collaborate closely with AI engineers to create scalable, operable, and maintainable software products.
- Identify areas for improvement to enable high system availability and mentor junior engineers.
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 software, DevOps, or SRE experience in lieu of a degree.
- Demonstrate at least 5 years of professional experience working with Kubernetes.
- Demonstrate at least 5 years of professional experience managing Linux operating systems.
- Bring practical experience using infrastructure tools such as Terraform or Ansible.
- Have hands-on experience with containerization technologies like OCI containers and Kubernetes.
- Show proficiency scripting in Bash, Python, or similar languages alongside development experience in Python, C++, or Go.
Nice to have
- 5+ years of experience with Python and Python-based development frameworks
- Knowledge of Linux boot process and systems configuration
- Understanding of distributed databases and data modeling
- Experience using NVIDIA GPU deployment stacks such as Blackwell and Rubin
- Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance
Benefits
- Long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards
- Discretionary bonuses and Employee Stock Purchase Plan for discounted stock
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, and life insurance
- Paid parental leave, 3 weeks of paid vacation, and 10 or more paid holidays per year
- 10% differential up to an additional $20,000 annually for those with an active clearance once officially briefed into a classified program
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the salary range for this role?
The 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 based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.
What security clearance is required for employment?
This position requires successfully obtaining and maintaining a Top Secret Security Clearance as a condition of employment. Applicants must also conform to U.S. Government export regulations under ITAR.
What additional work expectations are there regarding hours and travel?
Applicants must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed. Employees must also be willing to travel domestically and globally in the future when required.