Network Connectivity Engineer - Fiber Optic Layout, Starmind

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 enabling human life on Mars.

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.

NETWORK CONNECTIVITY ENGINEER, FIBER OPTIC LAYOUT (STARMIND)

The Starmind team designs training and inference compute clusters from first principles, pushing thermal, electrical, and optical systems to the limit of physics. We operate as a highly cross disciplinary team comprised of mechanical, electrical, optical, and software engineers, all working to maximize the efficiency, reliability, and deployment speed of terrestrial and orbital compute to serve rapidly scaling demand.

As a Network Connectivity Engineer, you will design, deploy, and qualify large scale fiber optic networks for hundreds of thousands of coherently connected GPUs. You’ll architect systems for maximum bandwidth and minimum latency, collaborating with optical, mechanical, and software engineers to translate your designs into the largest coherent computing networks in the world.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and plan scalable, future-proof data center connectivity for clusters of hundreds of thousands of GPUs, including structured cabling plants that support evolving architectures and speeds beyond 800G
• Procure fiber, copper, and other connectivity materials for new builds, expansions, and technology refreshes
• Provide project management and construction oversight for connectivity scope on new data center builds and expansions
• Plan and implement network upgrades and overhauls for technology refreshes in live data center environments
• Develop Methods of Procedure (MOPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for connectivity deployments in live environments
• Audit existing and new connectivity installations and hold vendors accountable for troubleshooting and repairs prior to network deployment turnover
• Develop and maintain as-built documentation for all data center connectivity
• Release and troubleshoot ISP circuits across multiple regions; interface with data center providers to drive circuit and cross-connect deployments
• Collaborate with capacity planning, network engineering, hardware reliability, and construction teams on cluster design and delivery
• Apply knowledge of applicable building codes and industry standards to connectivity design and installation

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, or other engineering discipline 
• 1+ years of experience working in data centers (internship experience is applicable)
• Experience with multimode fiber, singlemode fiber, copper, and other low-voltage telecommunication systems
• Experience with structured cabling and both active and passive cabling elements

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• RCDD (Registered Communications Distribution Designer) certification
• 5+ years experience working in data centers (internship experience is applicable)
• Experience performing budget loss, insertion loss, and return loss calculations for structured cable systems
• Experience deploying network elements such as routing switches, aggregation switches, optical transceivers, and DWDM
• Ability to interpret fiber test results
• Experience with network connectivity testing (singlemode duplex, multimode duplex, MPO8, MPO12, MPO16, AOC, DAC, and copper) and troubleshooting using OTDR, light meters, VFLs, loopbacks, and BERT across vendors
• Experience building and designing scalable fiber and connectivity plants for large-scale data centers across Ethernet, InfiniBand, and RoCE networks
• Experience designing and deploying connectivity for high-speed / high-bandwidth HPC and ML applications
• Experience troubleshooting optical transceivers, network switches, fiber, and other Layer 1 hardware
• Knowledge of basic programming languages such as Python and SQL
• Experience deploying monitoring and alerting systems for environmental, mechanical, and electrical data center systems
• Ability to manage multiple projects across different time zones simultaneously
• Knowledge of relevant building codes and industry cabling standards (TIA, BICSI, NEC)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Physical ability to perform hands-on work in data center environments, including heat, cold, and tight quarters
• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support deployments and cutovers
• Ability to travel to data center locations approximately 40% as required by project needs
• Valid driver’s license
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [email protected].