Site Reliability Engineer, Kubernetes Platform (Top Secret Clearance)
SpaceX· Aerospace· Sep 24, 2026 · 1mo agoReposted 33 days ago
Hawthorne, CA
In office
Full-time
Mid
$145K–$195K
2+ years exp
Before you apply
Ghost Signal:
Re-promoted recently, but this role has been open since June 19, 2026 — 130 days, never closed.
Job description
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. SITE RELIABILITY ENGINEER, KUBERNETES PLATFORM (TOP SECRET CLEARANCE)
As a member of the Classified IT Systems Engineering team, the Site Reliability Engineer is involved in designing scalable systems capable of supporting a growing volume of data products being generated in mass. We build tools that enable us to work more efficiently, and that help us build software systems that are secure, reliable, and autonomous. Our engineers are responsible for the life cycle of the systems they create, including development, testing, and operational support.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Develop automation to deploy and manage compute resources both on-premises and in the cloud
Build, maintain, and scale on-premises hardware systems designed to host GPU-accelerated machine learning workloads
Deploy and manage core infrastructure such as databases, monitoring and storage
Closely collaborate with software engineers to create highly scalable, operable and maintainable products
Engage in and improve the whole lifecycle of services -- from inception and design, through deployment, operation and refinement
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or an engineering discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software, DevOps, or site reliability engineering in lieu of a degree
1+ year of experience with Kubernetes
1+ year of experience with Linux operating systems
Experience in Bash, Python, and/or other scripting languages
Experience building, maintaining, and scaling on-premises and/or cloud systems
Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
Experience hosting and pushing the state of the art in inferential model benchmarks
Experience with systems administration, site reliability engineering, or DevOps engineering
Experience with Python and Python-based development frameworks
Experience with virtualization and hypervisor technologies
Experience with automatically managing dozens or hundreds of servers
Knowledge of performance bottlenecks and performance improvement techniques
Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate with customers, peers, management etc. in both formal and informal situations
Ability to quickly learn new tools and frameworks.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: Pay Range: Level 3: $145,000.00 - $195,000.00
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.
Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program. 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 EEOCompliance@spacex.com .
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Keywords to mirror
kubernetesmachine learningpython
- Platform
- greenhouse
- Effort
- quick
Benefits
Benefits detected in the listing.
Dental
Vision
401(K)
Parental Leave