Lead IT Systems Administrator, Launch

Space

X 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 Space

X is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

As the Lead IT Systems Administrator, you're responsible for ensuring all IT procedures and systems supporting Space

X's launch operations are optimally tuned and ready to propel us towards our mission of becoming a multi-planetary species. This role requires excellent leadership skills, hands-on technical contribution, an action-oriented disposition, flexibility, and the propensity to flourish in a fast-paced and challenging environment.

• Lead a team of highly skilled IT professionals responsible for implementing, troubleshooting and maintaining IT infrastructure that directly supports Space
  
  X's mission operations.
• Enhance network monitoring capabilities by identifying operational blind-spots, solving them with custom scripting, filtering, and efficient dashboards.
• Provide liaison support between Space
  
  X and the United States Space Force, NASA and commercial spaceflight customers, participating in technical briefings, evaluating requirements and connecting appropriate resources to solve challenges.
• Coordinate and communicate with internal customers on systems architecture, IT best practices, and implementation strategies.
• Actively collaborate with IT Systems Engineers on continuous improvement initiatives to bolster systems reliability and team efficiency.
• Provide feedback and auxiliary support on efforts involving automation, production telemetry, preventative maintenance, incident response, customer request handling, etc.
• Oversee and participate in day-to-day IT operations and procedures, ensuring seamless functionality and reliability during vehicle integration, test, and launch campaigns.
• Develop and expand continuous testing platforms to provide streamlined change introduction and management in controlled environments.
• Work closely with information security and compliance teams to enforce robust security controls while minimizing operational impact.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to other members of the Space
  
  X team, fostering team cohesion, knowledge redundancy and professional growth.

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline OR 4+ years of experience in an IT administration or IT engineering role.
• 1+ years of professional experience leading technical teams and/or projects.

• Extensive experience deploying and troubleshooting Linux and Windows operating systems.
• Experience deploying and supporting enterprise‑grade networking infrastructure including switches, routers, and firewalls.
• Ability to create, organize and maintain detailed technical documentation and operational runbooks.
• Experience working in a mission‑critical environment preferably within the aerospace or defense sectors.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong leadership skills including the ability to inspire and motivate a diverse team of IT professionals.
• Working knowledge of storage architectures, virtualization technologies, and backup systems.
• Ability to independently and effectively manage projects in an extremely fast paced and constantly changing environment.
• Analytical mindset with excellent problem‑solving abilities and a proactive approach to recognizing and overcoming technical challenges.

• Willing to work extended hours or weekends as necessary.
• Ability to provide 24x7 on‑call support in emergency situations.
• Able to lift 25lbs unassisted.
• Recurring travel, up to 20% including air travel and occasional extended time at sea, is required for operational and training purposes.
• Ability to pass Space Force background check for Cape Canaveral.

Pay Range:
Lead IT Systems Engineer, Launch: $ - $/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based…