Network Engineer (Starlink Community Gateway)
Job description
About the role
This position centers on the Starlink Community Gateway, an initiative designed to deliver 10 Gbps internet connectivity to remote and underserved regions across the globe. The hired individual will manage the complete lifecycle of these specific deployments, encompassing technical sales support, on-site installation, and ongoing performance optimization of the system. You will act as the definitive technical authority for both external customers and internal sales personnel regarding the Community Gateway solution. Success in this role requires ownership of the activation process for new sites, guiding each location from the initial connection phase through to final system integration and validation. The position necessitates direct travel to customer locations to execute system installations, perform intricate troubleshooting, and ensure seamless hardware integration with existing infrastructure. You will be responsible for the creation and maintenance of technical documentation and standard operating procedures aimed at streamlining the customer onboarding journey. Collaboration with cross-functional groups is essential, as you will partner closely with hardware, software, and operations teams to translate detailed customer requirements into tangible product features and improvements. Furthermore, you will monitor the operational status of deployed hardware and drive initiatives to enhance the long-term reliability and performance of the network equipment in the field.
Key facts
What you'll do
- Serve as the primary technical point of contact for Community Gateway customers and internal sales teams.
- Oversee the activation process for new sites, handling everything from initial connection to final integration.
- Travel to customer locations to perform system installations, troubleshooting, and hardware integration.
- Create documentation and standard operating procedures to simplify the customer onboarding experience.
- Partner with hardware, software, and operations teams to translate customer requirements into functional product features.
- Monitor and improve the reliability and performance of deployed hardware.
- Conduct detailed analysis of hardware telemetry and network packet captures to diagnose integration failures.
- Coordinate closely with ISP and cloud networking peers to establish robust peering and dedicated interconnect strategies.
- Evaluate and implement WAN architectures utilizing routing technologies such as MPLS, SD-WAN, and SATCOM for optimal connectivity.
- Provide technical guidance on core networking protocols including IPv4, IPv6, DHCP, NAT, NTP, and IPsec VPN to ensure proper deployment.
Requirements
- Bachelor degree in a STEM field or at least 2 years of professional networking experience.
- Minimum 1 year of experience deploying enterprise, cloud, or web-scale network solutions.
- Hands-on experience installing and configuring networking hardware such as routers, switches, firewalls, and modems.
- Ability to work extended hours or weekends during critical project phases.
- Willingness to travel to customer sites, vendors, and other company offices.
- Must meet ITAR requirements: U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee.
- Proficiency in core networking protocols including IPv4, IPv6, DHCP, NAT, NTP, and IPsec VPN.
- Experience with WAN architectures and routing technologies like MPLS, SD-WAN, or SATCOM.
- Knowledge of ISP and cloud networking, specifically BGP, peering, and dedicated interconnects.
- Skill in analyzing hardware telemetry and network captures to identify root causes of integration failures.
- Background in software engineering or experience working closely with software development teams.
- Experience working in a rapidly scaling startup environment.
Nice to have
- Proficiency in core networking protocols including IPv4, IPv6, DHCP, NAT, NTE, and IPsec VPN.
- Experience with WAN architectures and routing technologies like MPLS, SD-WAN, or SATCOM.
- Knowledge of ISP and cloud networking, specifically BGP, peering, and dedicated interconnects.
- Skill in analyzing hardware telemetry and network captures to identify root causes of integration failures.
- Background in software engineering or experience working closely with software development teams.
- Experience working in a rapidly scaling startup environment.
Practical notes
Compensation: Level 1 range is $125,000 to $150,000; Level 2 range is $145,000 to $175,000. Total rewards include company stock, long-term cash awards, discretionary bonuses, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401(k), life insurance, disability insurance, paid parental leave, 3 weeks of vacation, and 10+ paid holidays. Company shuttles are available for travel between select Seattle locations and the Redmond office.