Server Hardware Systems Engineer (Starlink)

SpaceX • Bastrop, TX

3d

About The Position

The Server Hardware Systems Engineer will own the health and lifecycle of Starlink’s global server fleet in data centers and points of presence. The role covers issue detection, repair, validation, and recovery, and includes building telemetry, alerting, and automation so a small team can operate a large and rapidly scaling fleet. The engineer will coordinate with network operations, field technicians, hardware vendors, and data center partners to return failed hardware to service quickly. Fleet reliability data will inform server design, selection, and qualification for new sites across commercial off-the-shelf and custom-designed platforms. The role is primarily office-based, with opportunities to work in the field alongside Starlink data center engineering teams.

The position requires willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed, participate in an on-call rotation, and travel domestically and internationally to data centers and other Starlink sites. The engineer must be able to work for extended periods in data center environments and lift, push, and pull 50 pounds. ITAR eligibility requirements apply.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, information technology, or another STEM discipline; alternatively, 2 or more years of professional experience in server hardware operations, data center operations, or site reliability engineering in lieu of a degree.
• At least 1 year of professional experience troubleshooting and repairing enterprise server hardware in a production environment.
• At least 1 year of professional experience administering Linux systems.
• Experience writing scripts or software in at least one language, such as Python, Go, or Bash.
• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support hardware around the world.
• Willingness to participate in an on-call rotation for hardware issues.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to data centers and other Starlink sites as needed, and to hold or obtain a valid passport.
• Ability to work in data center environments for extended periods, including standing, kneeling, and working in loud, variable-temperature conditions.
• Ability to lift, push, and pull 50 pounds.
• Must meet SpaceX’s stated ITAR eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. lawful permanent resident, a refugee or asylee under the specified statutes, or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

• 3 or more years of experience operating a large server fleet in production data center environments.
• Hands-on experience diagnosing and replacing server components such as CPUs, DIMMs, NVMe SSDs, NICs, transceivers, power supplies, and system boards.
• Experience with out-of-band management and baseboard management controllers such as HPE iLO, Dell iDRAC, or OpenBMC, using Redfish and IPMI.
• Proficiency with Linux hardware diagnostics, including kernel and machine check logs, EDAC, ipmitool, smartctl, nvme-cli, and ethtool.
• Software development experience in Python or Go, including production tools, services, and automation.
• Experience building monitoring and alerting with Prometheus, Grafana, and Alertmanager, including custom exporters.
• Experience operating Kubernetes clusters, including node cordoning, draining, and replacement.
• Experience with server networking, including NICs, optics, cabling, and link-level troubleshooting.
• Experience managing vendor support cases, RMAs, and warranty processes, and coordinating remote hands across multiple data centers and time zones.
• Familiarity with firmware management, TPM enrollment, secure boot, UEFI, and server provisioning at scale.
• Experience designing operational workflows in ticketing systems and building dashboards for operational metrics such as MTTR and backlog size.
• Experience with server hardware qualification, burn-in testing, or new product introduction.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to drive work to completion across teams, vendors, and time zones.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple concurrent repairs across regions.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end repair lifecycle for server hardware and components, including triaging alerts, isolating component-level failures, taking hardware safely out of production, and managing repair, validation, and return to service.
• Manage vendor support cases and coordinate on-site work with data center remote hands and field technicians, including parts delivery, site access, and return of failed parts for warranty replacement or failure analysis.
• Build software and automation for hardware telemetry and alerting, diagnostics, production drain and return, alert silencing, post-repair validation, and component-level tracking from detection to recovery.
• Define, measure, and report fleet hardware metrics, including response, repair, and recovery times, backlog trends, and component failure rates; publish regular stakeholder updates.
• Write runbooks, methods of procedure, and training materials to help NOC and field technicians resolve common hardware incidents.
• Validate new server hardware before production, including burn-in, firmware, and configuration checks.
• Use fleet failure trends to inform server design, selection, and qualification, and drive corrective action with vendors and hardware engineering.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level