IT Linux Systems Engineer

📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: IT Linux Systems Engineer
• Company: SpaceX
• Location: Hawthorne, California, United States
• Job Type: On-site
• Category: Systems Administration
• Date Posted: June 30, 2025

🚀 Role Summary

• Key Responsibilities:
  • Work closely with other engineers to gather requirements, research, evaluate, design, plan, deploy, and support Linux-based software platforms and related technologies in a world-class environment.
  • Build highly-resilient, high-performance, scalable, and flexible systems.
  • Exercise a high degree of responsibility for the processes, systems, and tools created and managed.
  • Make recommendations, justify, and implement improvements using an accepted change control methodology.
  • Work within a diverse group to design and deliver creative solutions and resolve problems in a timely and proactive manner by interacting with internal business units.
  • Define, document, and follow standards and best practices for systems design, testing, and implementation.
  • Drive scripting and automation to develop solutions to common problems.
  • Participate in on-call rotation to support critical systems round-the-clock.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

• Responsibilities:
  • Work closely with other engineers to gather requirements, research, evaluate, design, plan, deploy, and support Linux-based software platforms and related technologies in a world-class environment that meets the needs of the demanding SpaceX engineering teams.
  • Build highly-resilient, high-performance, scalable, and flexible systems.
  • Exercise a high degree of responsibility for the processes, systems, and tools created and managed; all supporting the goal of making humanity an interplanetary species.
  • Make recommendations, justify, and implement improvements using an accepted change control methodology.
  • Work within a diverse group to design and deliver creative solutions and resolve problems in a timely and proactive manner by interacting with internal business units.
  • Define, document, and follow standards and best practices for systems design, testing, and implementation.
  • Drive scripting and automation to develop solutions to common problems.
  • Participate in on-call rotation to support critical systems round-the-clock.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, physics, or information systems, and 3+ years of systems engineering experience; OR 5+ years of systems engineering experience in lieu of a degree.
• Experience: Experience with Linux servers in physical and virtualized environments.
• Required Skills:
  • Experience with Linux shell (bash scripting, output parsing, etc.).
  • Experience with Python or other scripting and automation languages.
  • Expertise in creating repeatable, reliable, scalable systems architectures, with high availability, fault tolerance, performance tuning, monitoring, and statistics/metrics collection.
  • Expert working knowledge (including the ability to setup, configure, upgrade, manage, and troubleshoot) of Linux-based and open-source systems and technologies such as Apache, BIND, HAProxy, NGINX, sendmail/postfix, iptables, etc.
  • Experience with ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash and Kibana) or other centralized logging solutions.
  • Expertise in source code and version control tools such as Git and Subversion.
  • Experience with configuration management (Puppet or Ansible), provisioning, infrastructure as code, and other DevOps concepts and tools (Vagrant, Docker, Kubernetes, etc.).
  • Understanding of developing web and C/C++ applications and build processes.
  • Networking experience in IPv4, switching, routing, firewalls and HA architecture.
• Preferred Skills:
  • Comfortable working with mission critical and sensitive systems, with a sense of urgency appropriate to the responsibilities.
  • Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate with internal/external customers, vendors, management, etc. in both formal and informal situations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

• Salary Range: $120,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year
• Benefits:
  • Medical Coverage
  • Vision Coverage
  • Dental Coverage
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • Short and Long-term Disability Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Stock Options
  • Discretionary Bonuses
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Sick Leave

🎯 Team & Company Context

• Company Culture:

  • Industry: Aerospace
  • Company Size: Large (5000+ employees)
  • Founded: 2002
  • Team Structure: Diverse, cross-functional teams with a focus on collaboration and innovation
  • Development Methodology: Agile/Scrum methodologies and code review processes
  • Company Website: SpaceX Website

• Career & Growth Analysis:

  • Web Technology Career Level: Senior Systems Engineer
  • Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the IT Linux Infrastructure team lead
  • Technical Impact: Significant influence on Linux-based software platforms, high-availability systems, and mission-critical infrastructure decisions

• Work Environment:

  • Office Type: On-site, collaborative workspace with multiple monitors and testing devices available
  • Office Location(s): Hawthorne, California
  • Workspace Context: Collaborative workspace with a focus on cross-functional team interaction and knowledge sharing
  • Work Schedule: Flexible work hours with on-call rotation for critical system support

• Application & Technical Interview Process:

  • Interview Process:
    • Technical preparation recommendations and coding/configuration assessment focus
    • Web architecture expectations and system design discussion
    • Final evaluation criteria and technical impact discussion
  • Portfolio Review Tips:
    • Specific tactical advice for Linux systems portfolio curation and live demo presentation
    • Project case study structure with user experience and technical implementation focus
    • Code quality demonstration and responsive design standards for this role
    • Company-specific Linux systems considerations and performance optimization examples
  • Technical Challenge Preparation:
    • Typical Linux systems exercise format and expectations
    • Time management and solution architecture for Linux systems challenges
    • Communication and technical explanation articulation for Linux concepts

• Application Steps:

  • Submit your application through the application link
  • Customize your resume with relevant Linux systems experience and skills
  • Prepare for technical interviews with coding challenges and portfolio presentation strategies

📌 Important Notice

This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web technology industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.