Sr. Site Reliability Engineer (Starshield)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 4, 2026. First seen by Alion on Jun 17, 2026. SpaceX scores A on the Alion truth index.
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.
SR. SITE RELIABILITY ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)
Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. SpaceX’s satellite programs are pushing the boundaries of in-space capabilities. Our missions support scientific research, classified national security space and commercial opportunities. Software engineering and innovation is at the core of these programs.
The satellite software team is building highly reliable in-space mesh networks, designing secure systems to guarantee access to space, designing next-gen communication and sensing software, and more. Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here - we want our engineers to bring fresh ideas from all areas. We look for engineers who love solving problems and seek to make an impact on an inspiring mission. As we expand this team, we're looking for versatile, motivated, and collaborative engineers.
Our team is involved in designing the vehicle systems at every phase of development. We build tools that enable us to work more efficiently, and that help us build software systems that are secure, reliable, and autonomous. Our software engineers are responsible for the life cycle of the software they create, including development, testing, and operational support.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop automation to deploy and manage compute resources both on-premises and in the cloud
- Deploy and manage core infrastructure such as databases, monitoring and storage
- Closely collaborate with software engineers to create highly scalable, operable and maintainable products
- Engage in and improve the whole lifecycle of services -- from inception and design, through deployment, operation and refinement
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems/IT, or an engineering discipline and 5+ years of professional experience with Linux operating systems; OR 7+ years of professional experience in software, DevOps, or site reliability engineering in lieu of a degree
- 5+ year of experience with Kubernetes
- 5+ year of experience with Linux operating systems
- Experience in Bash, Python, and/or other scripting languages
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- 5+ years of experience with Python and Python-based development frameworks
- Experience managing Kubernetes clusters, not just using them
- Knowledge of Linux boot process and systems configuration
- Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment & continuous monitoring
- Understanding of relevant build technologies, such as Bazel and Makefiles
- Focus on performance bottlenecks and performance improvement techniques
- Understanding of distributed databases and data modeling
- Experience with automatically managing dozens, hundreds, or thousands of servers (eg: Terraform or Ansible)
- Strong networking knowledge of TCP/IP
- Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate with customers, peers, management etc. in both formal and informal situations
- Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- 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, we encourage you to initiate the application process promptly upon accepting this offer. Your ability to secure the necessary clearance is essential for fulfilling key responsibilities of the role. Should you be unable to obtain it, SpaceX reserves the right to modify or terminate your employment to align with operational needs.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Level 3: $165,000.00 - $270,000.00
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
- To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be 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 reach out to [email protected].