Network Operations Technician (xAI / Starlink)

ABOUT xAI

xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

As a Network Operations Technician, you will be directly responsible for operating the growing Starlink Network as we scale to millions of users around the globe as well as the world largest SuperCompute Datacenter Networks. You will execute operational response to real-time network events and anomalies – mitigating their impact before significant service degradation occurs. You will facilitate incident response, engaging and supporting engineering teams to triage and resolve major issues. You will work with engineers across disciplines and external partners to ensure that all problems are root-caused and mitigated to prevent future recurrence. You will manage changes and maintenance required to improve and sustain service for users, while ensuring minimal network downtime. As an embedded operator within the NOC you will work with operations engineering to improve operational processes, increase operational efficiency, and maximize operational capabilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Detect and triage emerging anomalies on satellites, ground stations, terrestrial network interop, terrestrial network interconnections, network co-location sites, and internet points of presence
• Provide centralized awareness and management of routine and emergency maintenance performed by SpaceX personnel and partner contractors
• Execute rapid incident response for major network disruptions
• Own investigation, troubleshooting and resolution efforts for common network issues
• Provide advanced troubleshooting support and resolution for complex residential and enterprise escalations in coordination with internal teams
• Measure, preserve, and improve the uptime and performance of the Starlink Network
• Follow and improve processes used for operating the Starlink Network

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate
• 1+ year of professional experience troubleshooting and operating computer systems in a network, IT, or security setting including but not limited to a Network Operations Center (NOC), Security Operations Center (SOC), Data Center Operations etc. 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Ability to take on projects that require taking initiative and developing new expertise
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment that includes working with fast changing needs and requirements
• Experience in mission-critical operations where outstanding attention to detail and communication is required to ensure success
• Industry recognized technical certifications (i.e. Network+, Security+, CCNA, JNCIA, etc)
• Ability to perform network troubleshooting using packet captures and/or device telemetry to root cause network issues
• Familiarity with modern networking technologies including but not limited to:
• Connectivity (MAC, WiFi, WDM, IPv4 and IPv6)
• Switching (STP, VLANs, VXLANs, QinQ)
• Routing (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, RDMA)
• Network services (DNS, DHCP, NTP, NAT)
• Network security (MACsec, ACLs) and Anti-DDoS measures
• Knowledge and troubleshooting of common consumer devices (IoT, Home security and Smart devices)
• Residential or business customer interaction experience, customer support preferred
• Experience with debugging complex systems using data analysis
• Basic software experience in Python, SQL, Bash or similar languages
• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, Cybersecurity or STEM discipline

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be available for day time on-shift rotations and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

$44,000 - $88,000 USD

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: location, job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks

xAI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.