xAINetwork Engineer
xAI is hiring a Network Engineer in Dublin, Ireland. It pays $100k-$150k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on xAI.
Level's read on this job
- Builds AI ●●●● is how Level rates this role: the job is building AI systems.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include Python, Ansible and Bgp.
- Level classifies it as a mid-level role.
- Level lists 303 other open roles at xAI.
AI in this role
Design and operate large-scale network infrastructure and high-performance supercomputing fabrics supporting AI training.
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today, SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of making life multiplanetary and expanding consciousness to the stars.
SpaceXSI is building Super Intelligence to help humanity understand the universe. Our teams are building the full Super Intelligence stack: from our Colossus supercomputers, to Grok models, to our suite of applications, including Grok Bot, Grok Build, Grok Imagine, Grok Voice, and X. We're creating a powerful flywheel where more compute trains better models, better models power more useful products, and what we learn from people using those products shapes what we build next.
ABOUT THE ROLE
SpaceXSI is building and operating large-scale networks that underpin training and inference infrastructure, including high-performance / supercompute fabrics that connect GPU clusters, plus the core, edge, and datacenter networks that keep that infrastructure reachable and reliable.
We need a Network Engineer who is strong on fundamentals and comfortable owning production network design, deployment, and operations end to end. This is a hands-on engineering seat — not a NOC technician role and not a network-software (telemetry/ZTP platform) SWE role. You will design and build networks, qualify platforms, ship changes safely, and keep availability and performance high as we scale.
Travel to Memphis (and other build sites) may be required for capacity build-outs. You will participate in a team on-call rotation.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Design, deploy, and operate production datacenter and campus/core networks at scale
- Own routing and switching configuration standards (BGP and at least one IGP such as OSPF or IS-IS), including change design, peer reviews, and execution
- Qualify new network platforms, optics, and topologies; contribute to architecture and capacity planning
- Build and improve monitoring, alerting, and operational documentation so issues are caught and fixed quickly
- Troubleshoot Layer 2/Layer 3 incidents end to end — from link flaps and optics through routing and traffic engineering — and drive root cause and lasting fixes
- Automate repetitive network tasks with Python, Ansible, or similar tooling where it reduces toil
- Partner with compute, facilities, and software teams during cluster build-outs and maintenance windows
- Support high-performance / supercompute network environments (Ethernet AI/HPC fabrics, RoCE/RDMA-capable designs) as part of the broader network estate — deep specialist RoCE/NCCL ownership is a plus, not the bar for this seat
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Several years designing and/or operating production networks in a datacenter, ISP, cloud, or large enterprise environment
- Solid hands-on experience with BGP and at least one interior routing protocol
- Working knowledge of TCP/IP, VLANs, EVPN/VXLAN or equivalent datacenter overlays, and optics / high-speed Ethernet
- Experience troubleshooting live production network incidents and participating in on-call
- Strong written and verbal communication; clear change docs and incident notes
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Experience with modern datacenter vendors (e.g. Arista, Cisco, Juniper, Nvidia/Mellanox)
- Familiarity with high-performance or supercompute networking (RoCEv2, congestion control, GPU cluster fabrics) — useful context for our environment, not a hard filter
- Network automation (Python, Ansible, Terraform, or similar) used in production
- Experience with EVPN, leaf-spine, and large-scale Ethernet fabrics
- Prior work supporting rapid datacenter or cluster capacity build-outs
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Willing to work onsite in Dublin
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
$100,000 - $150,000 Base
Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at SpaceXSI, 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.
SpaceXSI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.
How we rate this
Network Engineer at xAI rates 85 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where networking was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where datacenter was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where routing and switching was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where automation was part of your work. What did you do?
- Walk me through how you've used Python in your day-to-day work.
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Networking, Datacenter, Routing And Switching, Automation, and Python. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.
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