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.
OPTICAL NETWORK ENGINEER, GATEWAY GROUND STATIONS
SpaceX services a diverse range of clients and their payloads. The spacecraft engineering team in Hawthorne is hiring for R&D satellite programs that are pushing the boundaries of in-space capabilities. Our missions help solve real-world problems including supporting scientific research and various commercial opportunities. As we expand our mission manifest, we are looking for experienced engineers to join our team.
As an Optical Network Engineer on the Gateway Team, you will own the deployment of a global ground network. This includes architecting the network fiber backhaul, selecting and designing off-the-shelf and custom rack and network hardware, and supporting real-time network operations. You will coordinate closely with our site deployment, operations, technical, and business development teams. This role will ultimately be responsible for reliably providing mission critical and reliable service to our end users. The ideal candidate will have strong project management, hands-on networking, and fiber optics experience.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Responsible for the ground network architecture and business outcome of fiber backhaul partnerships (points-of-presence, gateways, etc.)
- Lead the technical design for integration with more traditional ground networks
- Own the design, selection, procurement, and configuration of off-the-shelf and custom network hardware and assets (switches, optics, SFPs, firewalls, rack hardware, etc.)
- Support ongoing real-time ground station operations and critical customer demonstrations
- Assist in negotiating technical aspects of supplier and service provider contracts
- Act as the networking and fiber expert on the team and support ground station site acquisition and installations
- Develop tracking and alert systems for network metrics such as latency, bandwidth, availability, and costs
- Support hands-on configuration and troubleshooting of network hardware
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
- 3+ years of network engineering and/or network operations experience
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Deep understanding of service provider networks including datacenter and WAN connectivity, Ethernet, OSI and TCP/IP, switching and routing, DNS/DHCP, and network security
- Experience planning and deploying long-haul, terrestrial fiber routes
- Proficiency with Layer1 troubleshooting (optics, switches, DWDM, etc.)
- Strong familiarity with network health monitoring systems such as Observium, Solarwinds, or Nagios
- Proficiency with Python, Linux administration, and/or bash scripting
- Experience designing, constructing, and configuring datacenter racks
- Hands-on experience terminating, splicing and/or testing fiber optics
- Cisco, Juniper, Arista or other industry certifications
- Experience creating procedures, schematics, and documentation
- Experience working with satellite networks, ground stations, cell towers, or other communications infrastructure
- Good project management, communication, and organizational skills
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Willingness to travel at least 15% of the time, to US or international ground station sites
- Must be willing to work long hours and occasional weekends when necessary to support launch and critical project timelines
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
- To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or 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 notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.