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# Principal Network Engineer (Starlink Ground Network)

- **Company:** Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
- **Location:** Palo Alto, CA, United States
- **Salary:** $200,000.0 - $285,000.0
- **Contract:** Internship / Graduate position
- **Skills:** Bash Shell, Border Gateway Protocol, Cloud Computing, Computer Networks, Modems, System Configuration, Wavelength-Division Multiplexing, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, Linux, Domain Name System (DNS), Ethernet, Firmware, Networking Hardware, IPv4, IPv6, Internet Services, Multi-protocol Systems, Python (Programming Language), Network Functions Virtualization, Routing, Network Time Protocols, Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Network Routers, Firewalls (Computer Science), Juniper, SolarWinds (Software), Deployment Automation, Routing & Switching, Cisco, Network Optimization
- **Published:** October 30, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.adzuna.com/details/5873080256

## About the Role

* Bachelor's degree in a technical or engineering discipline; OR 2+ years of professional networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions and/or cloud & web-scale networks in lieu of a degree
 * 7+ year of networking experience deploying enterprise network solutions and/or cloud & web-scale networks (Internship/Co-op experience recognized)
 * Layer-1 experience (Example: transport, DWDM, optical fiber, circuit troubleshooting, activations, etc.)
 * Experience with the deployment of networking hardware (Routers, Modems, Switch, Firewalls, etc..)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

 * Master's degree in a technical or engineering discipline
 * Experience bringing up switches, routers, firewalls & servers
 * Operational experience in a Linux production environment
 * Experience with Python and/or bash scripting
 * Routing Protocol experience
 * Experience with physical troubleshooting of fiber & circuits
 * Deep understanding of service provider networks including but not limited to:

 * Connectivity (Ethernet, IPv4, IPv6 and MPLS)
 * Routing (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS)
 * Switching and routing
 * Internet services (subscriber provisioning, BRAS, DNS, DHCP, NTP)

Strong familiarity with network health monitoring systems such as Observium, Solarwinds or NagiosExperience with hands-on experience bringing up network infrastructureExperience creating documentation and proceduresAbility to run projects independentlyExperience working on wireless networksExperience working on software defined networking (SDN) and/or network function virtualization (NFV)Cisco, Juniper, Arista or other industry certification
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

 * Must be willing to do some travel domestically and globally when needed (primarily for POP deployments & build out)
 * Must be available for on-call rotations
 * Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

## Description

* Manage and expand network interconnections, network co-location sites and points of presence (POPs)
 * Improve network performance and reliability based upon system performance metrics, including capacity planning, failure detection and remediation
 * Assist in capacity augmentation and network optimization deployments
 * Lead network integration and troubleshooting efforts for the largest and most strategic Starlink customers
 * Collaborate with hardware, software, and network engineers to create or improve Starlink products.
 * Support sales teams with technical pre-sales support during the sales cycle by acting as the Starlink technical subject matter expert.
 * Assist in updating system configuration and firmware
 * Automation for network devices, operational and deployment tools
 * Assist in architecting how Starlink satellite assets will integrate with more traditional ground networks
 * Mentor and train junior network engineers