IT Network Engineer, Mission Systems

IT NETWORK ENGINEER, MISSION SYSTEMS

SpaceX is looking for an exceptional network engineer with experience in mission-critical and large-scale production environments to support high-cadence launch operations as well as high-reliability production networks. As a member of the Mission Systems / IT Launch engineering team, you will provide operational and design services for networks used by launch/production operations, automation & controls engineering, and facilities teams. The ideal candidate thrives in intense, high flux environments, brings a strong sense of urgency balanced with operational excellence, communicates effectively, and demonstrates high levels of technical acumen. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and implement highly available networks, carefully balancing various routing and redundancy technologies depending on unique requirements between production and launch.
• Design and maintain mission data center and site networks in accordance with company network standards. Collaborating with adjacent infrastructure and enterprise teams.
• Evaluate, procure, and deploy network hardware including switches, firewalls, multiplexing and SDWAN appliances.
• Contribute to ever-maturing network automation tooling; implementing configuration analysis, linting, and scalability into the deployment framework. 
• Plan and coordinate network outage windows with stakeholders to perform software updates, hardware refreshes, and general network maintenance (sometimes on weekends and evenings).
• Troubleshoot and resolve network-related issues, publishing root cause analysis (RCA) documentation and hosting retrospective data reviews.
• Provide direct networking support during launch and test campaigns and be on-call or provide real-time support as networking responsible engineer during operations.
• Proactively tailors network monitoring to provide ever more valuable operational telemetry with emphasis on issue detection prior to operational impact.
• Continuously create and update network documentation, including architecture overviews, design drawings, and operational procedures.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to proactively identify and resolve potential technical issues with network designs, especially in regards to systemic, cascading failure modes, and superficial redundancy.
• Perform job walks with customers, vendors, and contractors to gather network requirements and create implementation plans.
• Ensure networks are configured and maintained in compliance with industry and cybersecurity standards (e.g., ITAR, ISO, NIST), with particular attention to controls network segmentation and security.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or other STEM discipline and 3+ years of professional network engineering experience; OR 5+ years of professional network engineering experience in lieu of a degree.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Extensive hands-on experience designing, deploying, supporting, and troubleshooting Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks in latency sensitive and/or industrial environments.
• Functional experience with multiple network vendors either in production or lab environments.
• Experience with GitOps and Infrastructure as Code frameworks, both as user and contributor.
• Strong understanding of the OSI model and network standards.
• Hands-on experience with Cisco, Arista, and Juniper data center class switches.
• Experience with Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) and fiber optics infrastructure.
• Extensive knowledge of common enterprise and media protocols.
• Experience with switch port security features, network segmentation, QoS, multicast, and redundancy protocols.
• Familiarity with network monitoring tools and layer 1 testing tools.
• Proficiency in scripting (Bash/PowerShell/Python) and automation frameworks (Terraform, Ansible, etc.).
• Linux and Windows system administration experience professionally or from labs.
• Industry standard certifications such as CCNA or CCNP.
• Experience supporting real-time systems, industrial control networks, or operational technology (OT) environments in aerospace, defense, energy, oil & gas, or similar high-reliability industries.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate with internal/external customers, vendors, and management in both formal and informal situations.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to pass DoD background check for launch site access.
• Ability to work in tight quarters; physical dexterity is necessary to perform job functions.
• Availability for extended hours and/or weekends as the schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility is required.
• Ability to provide 24x7 on-call support in emergency situations and participate in an after-hours on-call rotation.
• Willingness to travel (up to 20%, including flying to other sites worldwide) and potential time at sea supporting marine systems.
• Ability to lift 30 lbs.
• Ability to work at heights.
• Ability to drive (active valid driver’s license).