IT Systems Engineer

xAI·Palo Alto, California, United States$162K - $226K·posted 386d ago · last seen 45m ago

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About interviewing at xAI

Application is a CV plus a mandatory 'statement of exceptional work' — reviewed by engineers, not recruiters. Then a 15–30-minute phone screen with an engineer, and a main loop xAI's own job postings target to finish within ONE week: a coding assessment in your language of choice, two role-specific technical deep-dive sessions, and a 'Meet the Team' round where you present your exceptional work and your vision for xAI to a small audience. Coding is applied class design (key-value stores with transactions, LRU caches, iterators) that hardens via mid-problem extensions — completeness and bug-free code beat big-O talk — and design rounds demand working code in the same session. There is no dedicated behavioral or values round; decisions land within days with no hiring committee. Some loops run all-remote on Google Meet, others add an in-person Palo Alto onsite.

Read the full xAI interview process →

Description

SpaceXAI’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 employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The IT Systems Team at 𝕏 manages a dynamic and evolving virtual infrastructure that provides secure, high-performance, and reliable corporate resources for business-critical users and applications. This role focuses on building, deploying, and managing on-premises Microsoft Windows Server infrastructure, including Active Directory, VMware Horizon Windows VDIs, and Windows VMs running SQL Server, while collaborating with other teams to deliver scalable, reliable solutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Build, manage, and support complex application stacks on Windows Server
  • Administer on-premises Active Directory (domain controllers, Group Policy, identity, and access)
  • Deploy, configure, and support VMware vSphere technologies, including vCenter and ESXi
  • Deploy, configure, and support VMware Horizon Windows VDI environments
  • Manage Windows VMs hosting Microsoft SQL Server, including patching, performance, and availability
  • Provide Windows Server troubleshooting and hands-on technical support
  • Manage and support scalable storage solutions, preferably NetApp, in support of Windows workloads
  • Automate Windows infrastructure using PowerShell and related Microsoft tooling
  • Work with engineering teams and third-party vendors to implement scalable solutions
  • Ensure compliance by collaborating with internal audit and compliance teams
  • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures
  • Participate in a 24/7 on-call support rotation
  • Install, configure, test, and maintain Windows operating systems and system management tools
  • Proactively ensure high levels of system availability and reliability
  • Monitor and optimize Windows application and infrastructure performance, identify bottlenecks, and partner with developers on fixes
  • Write and maintain scripts to improve system efficiency and automation

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

You are a highly skilled IT Systems Engineer with a deep understanding of infrastructure management and automation. You thrive in a collaborative and fast-paced environment, leveraging your expertise to enhance system performance and reliability. The ideal candidate will also have:

  • Deep understanding of Microsoft infrastructure management and automation
  • 3 to 5 years of experience in the following:
    • Systems engineering for corporate Microsoft infrastructure
    • Managing large-scale Windows Server environments
    • On-premises Active Directory administration
    • Virtualization at scale with VMware vSphere (vCenter, ESXi)
    • VMware Horizon Windows VDI administration
    • Supporting SQL Server on Windows VMs
    • Managing scalable storage solutions, preferably NetApp
    • Developing and maintaining performance metrics for systems
  •  Strong understanding of basic networking concepts as they apply to Windows and VMware environments
  • Proficiency with PowerShell for automation and configuration management
  • Ability to translate business needs into technical solutions
  • Outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience writing technical design documents and maintaining documentation
  • Familiarity with working in a source-controlled environment
  • Experience with VMware data center virtualization and VMware Horizon

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

  • Experience with Windows Server clustering, failover, and high availability
  • Familiarity with Microsoft configuration and deployment tooling (e.g. SCCM/MECM, Intune, or equivalent)
  • Knowledge of storage best practices for SQL Server and VDI workloads on NetApp

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

$162,000 - $226,000

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at 𝕏, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.

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.  

SpaceXAI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

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