Sr. Software Infrastructure Engineer (Starlink)

As a Sr. Software Infrastructure Engineer at SpaceX, your responsibilities include designing and managing the infrastructure for Starlink, developing automation for on-premise compute resources, and collaborating closely with other software engineers to create scalable and maintainable systems. You'll be involved in every stage of the service lifecycle and expected to invent processes that enhance developer velocity.

To be considered for the Sr. Software Infrastructure Engineer role at SpaceX, you should have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related engineering field, or equivalent professional experience totaling at least seven years in systems administration, site reliability engineering, or DevOps. Experience with Linux, Terraform, and containerization technologies is essential, alongside strong communication skills.

At SpaceX, the working environment for a Sr. Software Infrastructure Engineer is dynamic and fast-paced, centered around innovation and teamwork. Employees are encouraged to collaborate across departments, focus on problem-solving, and push the boundaries of engineering to ensure the success of the Starlink project. A commitment to excellence and a positive attitude are vital in this vibrant workplace.

SpaceX is dedicated to the professional development of its employees, offering access to comprehensive benefits along with opportunities for further learning, training, and advancement within the organization. Engineers are encouraged to innovate and are provided with resources to improve their skills and expand their knowledge in areas that align with their career goals.

In your role as a Sr. Software Infrastructure Engineer at SpaceX, you'll work with a variety of technologies including Linux operating systems, Terraform for infrastructure management, Docker and Kubernetes for containerization, and languages like Python and Bash for scripting. Your work will also involve using monitoring and database technologies, making familiarity with these tools essential for success.

When discussing your experience with Linux, emphasize specific projects or responsibilities where you utilized Linux in an operational capacity, including any configurations, optimizations, or troubleshooting processes you performed. Be prepared to explain your familiarity with different distributions and how you adapt them for various applications.

Highlight specific automation tools such as Ansible or Terraform, and describe how you've implemented them to improve efficiency and streamline operations. Provide examples of how your automation efforts resulted in notable improvements in deployment speed or resource management within your past projects.

Your answer should illustrate a systematic approach to troubleshooting, including gathering data, analyzing logs, and isolating issues in a distributed environment. Discuss any tools you use, such as monitoring solutions, and how you communicate findings or solutions to your team to ensure quick resolutions.

Share a specific instance where you identified a performance bottleneck, detailing the steps you took to analyze, diagnose, and ultimately resolve the issue. Highlight the tools and methods you used in your investigation, as well as the positive impact your solution had on system performance.

Discuss your hands-on experience with Kubernetes, including setting up and managing clusters, deploying services, and scaling applications. Share specific instances where your work improved application reliability and performance in a production environment.

Explain your methodology for integrating continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) into your workflows, detailing the tools you employ, such as Jenkins or GitLab CI. Provide examples of how you've automated testing, deployment, and monitoring to enhance the overall software development lifecycle.

Share which programming languages, such as Python or C++, you are most experienced with and provide examples of significant projects where you applied these skills. Highlight how your coding practices contribute to building automated solutions or improving existing ones.

Provide a narrative about a specific collaboration with software engineers where you successfully improved product infrastructure. Focus on what your role was in the collaboration, the objectives you aimed to achieve, and the outcomes that resulted from your joint efforts.

Discuss your approach to fostering open communication, including tools or platforms you use like Slack or project management software. Mention your strategies for ensuring team members are informed and engaged throughout projects, from inception through completion.

Articulate your genuine enthusiasm for SpaceX's mission and how your skills align with the company's goals, particularly in advancing Starlink's capabilities. Speak to your desire to contribute to groundbreaking technology and being part of an innovative team committed to excellence.