OT Network Engineer, Physical Infrastructure - Memphis

xAI is hiring an OT Network Engineer, Physical Infrastructure - Memphis. Level rates it ; you can apply on xAI.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 300 other open roles at xAI.

AI in this role

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.

OT NETWORK ENGINEER, PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

SpaceXSI is looking for an exceptional network engineer with experience in mission-critical or large-scale production environments to support our supercomputer infrastructure. As a member of the Physical Infrastructure Networking team, you will provide operational and designs services for physical infrastructure networks. The ideal candidate thrives in intense, high flux environments, brings a strong sense of urgency balanced with operational excellence, communicates effectively, and demonstrates high levels of technical acumen.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Design and implement highly available networks, carefully balancing various routing and redundancy technologies depending on unique requirements between production and launch
Design and maintain mission data center and site networks in accordance with company network standards. Collaborating with adjacent infrastructure and enterprise teams
Evaluate, procure, and deploy network hardware including switches, firewalls, multiplexing and SDWAN appliances
Contribute to ever maturing network automation tooling; implementing configuration analysis, linting, and scalability into the deployment framework
Plan and coordinate network outage windows with stakeholders to perform software updates, hardware refreshes, and general network maintenance (sometimes on weekends and evenings)
Troubleshoot and resolve network-related issues, publishing root cause analysis (RCA) documentation and hosting retrospective data reviews
Provide direct networking support during launch and test campaigns and be on-call or provide real-time support as networking responsible engineer during operations
Proactively tailors network monitoring to provide ever more valuable operational telemetry with emphasis on issue detection prior to operational impact
Continuously create and update network documentation, including architecture overviews, design drawings, and operational procedures
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to proactively identify and resolve potential technical issues with network designs, especially in regards to systemic, cascading failure modes, and superficial redundancy
Perform job walks with customers, vendors, and contractors to gather network requirements and create implementation plans
Ensure networks are configured and maintained in compliance with industry and cybersecurity standards (e.g., ITAR, ISO, NIST), with particular attention to controls network segmentation and security
Design and validate resilient, scalable multi-site OT network topologies optimized for critical facilities
Audit, and enforce zero-trust firewalls to decouple facility infrastructure from the corporate DMZ
Author comprehensive system/network architecture drawings, IP/VLAN schemes, and data flow diagrams
Support on-site system deployment, physical network cutovers, and new site commissioning

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or other STEM discipline and 3+ years of professional network engineering experience; OR 5+ years of professional network engineering experience in lieu of a degree
2+ years of hands-on experience in Operational Technology (OT) networking, critical facility infrastructure, industrial automation, or controls engineering
Experience designing, deploying, supporting, and troubleshooting Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks in latency sensitive and/or industrial environments
Experience with multiple network vendors either in production or lab environments
Experience with GitOps and Infrastructure as Code Frameworks, both as user and contributor

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Strong understanding of the OSI model and network standards
Hands-on experience with Cisco, Arista, and Juniper data center class switches
Experience with Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) and fiber optics infrastructure
Extensive knowledge of common enterprise and media protocols
Experience with switch port security features, network segmentation, QoS, multicast, and redundancy protocols
Familiarity with network monitoring tools and layer 1 testing tools
Proficiency in scripting (Bash/PowerShell/Python) and automation frameworks (Terraform, Ansible, etc.)
Linux and Windows system administration experience professionally or from labs
Industry standard certifications such as CCNA or CCNP
Experience supporting real-time systems, industrial control networks, or operational technology (OT) environments in aerospace, defense, energy, oil & gas, or similar high-reliability industries
Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate with internal/external customers, vendors, and management in both formal and informal situations

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to work in tight quarters; physical dexterity is necessary to perform job functions
Availability for extended hours and/or weekends as the schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility is required
Ability to provide 24x7 on-call support in emergency situations and participate in an after-hours on-call rotation
Willingness to travel (up to 20%, including flying to other sites worldwide) and potential time at sea supporting marine systems
Ability to lift 30 lbs
Ability to work at heights
Ability to drive (active valid driver’s license)

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

How we rate this

OT Network Engineer, Physical Infrastructure - Memphis at xAI rates 38 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● 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.