Job Application for Network Operations & Deployment Engineer at xAI

About xAI

xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All engineers and researchers are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About the Role

As a Network Operations & Deployment Engineer at xAI’s Memphis data center, you’ll jump into the role building and scaling our global network with a pragmatic, hands-on approach. Working onsite with passionate, high-achieving teams, you’ll tackle technical challenges, balance speed with quality, and grow your skills in a fast-paced tech environment. Expect to configure, troubleshoot, and deploy network systems, ensuring robust connectivity to power xAI’s mission of accelerating human scientific discovery through AI.

This is an in-person role based in Memphis, Tennessee, with approximately 30-40% travel required.

Responsibilities

Be onsite in our Memphis data center or any other DC working alongside our SiteOps engineers or San Francisco, Palo Alto, or other offices working with other network engineers.
Troubleshoot physical network devices and links, test to ensure they operate as expected and put back into production.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of tooling, automation and operational procedures
Network troubleshooting and fault analysis; hardware troubleshooting and repair of devices outside data centers.
Trouble ticket generation and response; carrier interface and escalations
Liaise with third parties to fix and resolve issues
Creation and execution of scheduled changes, process & documentation
Participate in a 12x7 call-out rotation and shift work based on the time zone you’re hired in
Software/firmware installation
Monitor, manage, and respond to network based alerts
Automate away repeatable work using python or Ansible like tools
Project work that comes in from upstream Neteng teams (example: datacenter tech refresh - decommissioning older devices and provisioning new ones)

Basic Qualifications

B.S. in network engineering or a related technical discipline
1+ years of Network Engineering experience troubleshooting physical and logical issues

Preferred Skills & Experience

Beginner to intermediate logical and physical understanding of break/fix operations including:
- Network layer 1,2,3, and 4.
Beginner to intermediate understanding of network fundamentals
- Routing, Switching, IP services, and network automation
Working knowledge of at least two internal routing protocols, its configuration and day to day operation
Beginner to Intermediate working knowledge of Backbone and Datacenter networks
Beginner to Intermediate working knowledge of TCP/IP
Vendor certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, JNCIA and JNCIP
Vendor Hardware Cisco, Juniper, NVIDIA, Avocent
Understanding of unix/linux shells and scripting languages (python preferred)
Ability to learn new networking protocols, programming/scripting languages, and vendor operating systems as necessary
Methodical troubleshooting approach
Strong documentation and communication skill set
Technical project management mindset
Team-player, takes initiative, and highly motivated

Additional Requirements

Ability to work for extended periods of time standing, when needed
Work is often performed in tight quarters and physical dexterity is necessary to preform job functions
Comfortable working in an environment requiring exposure to noise
Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed
Ability to lift or carry 10-15lbs
Position is subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing

xAI is an equal opportunity employer.

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