Network Operations Engineer
Job description
About the role
Join the Starlink team to build and maintain the operational systems powering a global satellite internet constellation. You will develop tools and processes to automate network management, minimize manual intervention, and ensure high performance for millions of users. In this capacity, you will own critical operational workflows that keep the constellation monitoring and control systems online. The role requires a mindset oriented toward reliability, automation, and rapid response to emergent issues. You will partner closely with software engineers and network architects to refine how telemetry and commands flow through the network. Success in this position means the network remains predictable and observable even as scale and complexity increase. You will translate high-level requirements into concrete operational changes that can be executed safely and repeatedly.
About the company
Based in Starbase, Texas, a company pursues work in spaceflight, telecom, and artificial intelligence. A unit handles rocket launches, leading yearly orbital counts beyond other national and commercial teams. Another unit runs Starlink, a satellite communications firm. A third area, through SpaceXAI, advances Grok and AI integration with X, while managing data center operations. Roles often cross these paths. Candidates with engineering, software, or operations backgrounds may find chances to join projects that span launch, connectivity, and machine learning efforts in this Texas-based enterprise.
What you'll do
- Design and scale operational processes to support global internet access.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to improve system design and debugging capabilities.
- Protect the customer experience by driving rapid resolution of network incidents.
- Define project roadmaps, milestones, and priorities to meet program goals.
- Develop monitoring and alerting systems to triage and resolve technical issues.
- Manage the full lifecycle of projects from initial development through deployment and support.
- Implement automation to reduce manual tasks and increase consistency in network operations.
- Analyze performance metrics to identify trends and guide capacity planning for the network.
- Coordinate change management activities to ensure updates are executed with minimal risk.
- Partner with on-call engineers to maintain continuity during overnight and weekend incidents.
- Document operational procedures so that they can be followed and improved over time.
- Support the evaluation and adoption of new technologies that enhance network reliability.
- Work with cross-functional stakeholders to align operational capabilities with product needs.
- Maintain a focus on security and compliance while enabling fast and reliable network services.
Requirements
- Bachelor degree in engineering, computer science, math, or science OR 2+ years of professional experience in site reliability, system administration, software development, or a network operations center.
- Proficiency in SQL, Python, or bash scripting.
- Practical knowledge of networking protocols including IPv4, IPv6, TCP, voice, video, streaming, and broadcast.
- Ability to participate in an on-call rotation for critical operations.
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee to comply with ITAR regulations.
- Capable of working full-time in Redmond, Washington, and traveling as necessary for operational needs.
- Eligible to receive company benefits only after completing required onboarding and background checks.
- Must meet all pre-employment screening and qualification standards before project assignments.
Nice to have
- Advanced degree in a technical field.
- 2+ years of experience managing projects or software development in fast-paced environments.
- Expertise in service provider and home network technologies such as Ethernet, WiFi, WDM, MPLS, QinQ, BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, BNG, RADIUS, QoS, BSS/OSS, DNS, DHCP, NTP, NAT, and anti-DDoS measures.
- Experience with SDN or NFV environments.
- Background in residential or enterprise WiFi design and troubleshooting.
- Industry certifications like CCNA or JNCIA.
- Experience in customer support or creating technical documentation from scratch.
Skills & tools
- Python, SQL, Bash
- TCP/IPv4/IPv6
- BGP, OSPF, IS-IS
- SDN/NFV
- WiFi/Ethernet/WDM
Practical notes
Total rewards include company stock, long-term cash awards, potential bonuses, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k), life insurance, disability insurance, paid parental leave, 3 weeks of vacation, and 10+ paid holidays. Company shuttles are available from select Seattle locations to the Redmond office.