OT Network Engineer, Mission Systems

SpaceX•Memphis, TN

About The Position

SpaceX is seeking an experienced network engineer to support high-cadence launch operations and high-reliability production networks. As part of the Mission Systems / IT Launch engineering team, this role provides operational and design services for networks used by launch and production operations, automation and controls engineering, and facilities teams. The position requires someone who can work effectively in intense, fast-changing environments while maintaining urgency, operational excellence, strong communication, and technical rigor. The engineer designs, deploys, maintains, monitors, and troubleshoots networks across mission data centers and sites. The role includes coordinating maintenance and outages, supporting launch and test campaigns, improving automation and telemetry, documenting network architecture and procedures, and collaborating with infrastructure, enterprise, customer, vendor, and contractor teams. The engineer also helps ensure network reliability, security, and compliance with relevant industry and cybersecurity standards, including ITAR, ISO, and NIST. The role requires passing a DoD background check for launch-site access, availability for extended hours and weekends as operational schedules require, and participation in a 24x7 emergency on-call rotation. Travel may be up to 20%, including travel to sites worldwide, with potential time at sea supporting marine systems. Applicants must meet SpaceX’s stated ITAR eligibility requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or another STEM discipline and at least 3 years of professional network engineering experience, or at least 5 years of professional network engineering experience in lieu of a degree.
Ability to pass a 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 schedules vary with 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 and hold an active, valid driver’s license.
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State, to conform to U.S. Government export regulations.

Nice To Haves

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 in production or lab environments.
Experience with GitOps and Infrastructure as Code frameworks as both a 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 with Bash, PowerShell, or Python and automation frameworks such as Terraform or Ansible.
Linux and Windows system administration experience, professionally or in labs.
Industry-standard certifications such as CCNA or CCNP.
Experience supporting real-time systems, industrial control networks, or operational technology environments in aerospace, defense, energy, oil and gas, or similar high-reliability industries.
Excellent communication skills and ability to communicate with internal and external customers, vendors, and management in formal and informal situations.

Responsibilities

Design and implement highly available networks, selecting routing and redundancy technologies to meet production and launch requirements.
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 equipment, and SDWAN appliances.
Contribute to network automation tooling, including configuration analysis, linting, and deployment-framework scalability.
Plan and coordinate network outage windows with stakeholders for software updates, hardware refreshes, and general maintenance.
Troubleshoot and resolve network issues, publish root cause analysis documentation, and host retrospective data reviews.
Provide networking support during launch and test campaigns, including on-call or real-time support as the networking responsible engineer during operations.
Tailor network monitoring to improve operational telemetry and detect issues before they affect operations.
Create and update network documentation, including architecture overviews, design drawings, and operational procedures.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and resolve potential network design issues, particularly systemic or cascading failure modes and superficial redundancy.
Conduct job walks with customers, vendors, and contractors to gather requirements and create implementation plans.
Maintain network configuration and operation in compliance with industry and cybersecurity standards, including ITAR, ISO, and NIST, with particular attention to controls network segmentation and security.