About Starlink & Our Mission in India

Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, is revolutionizing global internet connectivity through its advanced low-Earth orbit satellite constellation. With over 6,000 active satellites currently in orbit and service available across more than 75 countries, Starlink is now gearing up to launch commercial satellite broadband services in India by late 2025. Ground stations are already operational in Mumbai, with expansion planned in Chennai, Noida, and Bengaluru. As part of this ambitious rollout, we are building a world-class technology team in Karnataka to support network operations, infrastructure deployment, and service delivery across the Indian subcontinent.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Network Engineer to join our Bengaluru-based Network Operations team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the terrestrial network infrastructure that connects Starlink's satellite ground stations to the broader internet backbone across India. You will work at the intersection of satellite communications and traditional IP networking, collaborating with cross-functional teams in the United States and across India to ensure seamless, low-latency broadband connectivity for enterprise and consumer customers. This is a rare opportunity to work on networking challenges that have never been solved before — combining RF engineering concepts with large-scale IP network design in a greenfield market.

Key Responsibilities

Design and deploy the terrestrial fiber and microwave backhaul network connecting Starlink ground stations (gateways) in Mumbai, Chennai, Noida, and Bengaluru to major internet exchange points and peering facilities across India.
Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot core routing platforms using Cisco IOS-XR, Juniper Junos, and Arista EOS, ensuring 99.99% uptime for gateway connectivity.
Implement BGP peering policies with major Indian ISPs (Jio, Airtel, ACT Fibernet, Tata Communications) and optimize traffic engineering for low-latency satellite-to-ground handoff.
Build and maintain network monitoring dashboards using Grafana, Prometheus, and custom SNMP-based alerting systems to proactively identify and resolve performance bottlenecks.
Collaborate with SpaceX engineering teams in Redmond (WA) and Hawthorne (CA) to integrate ground station telemetry into centralized network management platforms.
Develop and enforce network security policies in compliance with Indian telecom regulations (DoT, TRAI guidelines), including DDoS mitigation, traffic encryption (IPsec/GRE tunnels), and access control frameworks.
Plan and execute capacity scaling strategies to support anticipated subscriber growth from initial pilot phases to full commercial launch across Tier-1, Tier-2, and Tier-3 cities in India.
Document network architectures, standard operating procedures, and incident response playbooks for the India operations team.
Mentor junior network engineers and contribute to building a self-sustaining, high-performing network operations center (NOC) in Bengaluru.
Participate in on-call rotation (one week in every four) to provide 24/7 escalation support for critical gateway infrastructure.

Work Environment & Culture

Starlink's Bengaluru office operates as a fast-paced, engineering-first environment where decisions are made quickly and bureaucracy is minimal. You will work alongside a diverse team of engineers, many of whom have relocated from SpaceX facilities in the United States. The culture emphasizes first-principles thinking, hands-on problem solving, and direct communication. We believe in giving engineers ownership of their systems — you will not be handed a rigid specification but rather expected to think critically, propose solutions, and execute them. The office is equipped with lab environments where you can test network configurations on actual ground station hardware before deployment. Hybrid work arrangements are available for non-lab activities, with an expectation of 3 days per week on-site.

Requirements

Experience: 7–12 years in network engineering, telecommunications infrastructure, or ISP/core network operations, with at least 3 years in a senior or lead capacity.
Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Telecommunications, Electronics Engineering, or equivalent. CCNP, CCIE, JNCIE, or equivalent professional certifications strongly preferred.
Routing & Switching: Deep expertise in BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS (L2VPN/L3VPN), and segment routing. Experience with large-scale iBGP route reflector designs and eBGP multihoming.
Hardware Platforms: Hands-on experience with Cisco ASR 9000/8000 series, Juniper MX series, Arista 7000 series, or Nokia 7750 SR service routers.
Network Automation: Proficiency in Python for network automation (Netmiko, NAPALM, Ansible playbooks) and experience with infrastructure-as-code principles.
Monitoring & Observability: Experience deploying and configuring Grafana, Prometheus, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), or equivalent telemetry platforms.
Security: Working knowledge of IPsec VPNs, firewall policies (Palo Alto, Fortinet), DDoS mitigation strategies, and network segmentation best practices.
Regulatory Awareness: Familiarity with Indian telecom licensing frameworks (UL, VNO licenses), TRAI quality-of-service regulations, and DoT infrastructure sharing guidelines is a significant advantage.
Communication: Strong written and verbal English skills. Ability to produce clear technical documentation and present network architecture proposals to senior leadership.
Adaptability: Comfortable working in ambiguous, fast-evolving environments where requirements change rapidly as the India operation scales.

Compensation & Benefits

Annual CTC: ₹30–55 lakh (based on experience and interview performance), inclusive of base salary and performance bonus.
Stock options (SpaceX/Starlink equity) vesting over 4 years with a 1-year cliff, providing meaningful upside as the India business scales.
Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employee, spouse, children, and dependent parents (up to ₹25 lakh sum insured).
Relocation assistance for candidates moving to Bengaluru, including temporary housing for the first 60 days.
Annual learning and development budget of ₹1.5 lakh for conferences, certifications, and training programs.
Access to Starlink's internal technical training programs, including satellite communications fundamentals and RF engineering workshops.
Flexible hybrid work model with modern office facilities in Bengaluru's tech corridor.
Generous paid time off policy including national holidays, personal leave, and sabbatical eligibility after 5 years of service.

Career Growth

Joining Starlink's India team at this stage offers a unique career trajectory. As the operation grows from initial ground station deployment to full commercial service covering millions of subscribers, early team members will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles in network architecture, regional operations management, and cross-functional program leadership. The India network team will expand from an initial group of 15–20 engineers to over 100 within the first two years of commercial launch. Engineers who demonstrate technical excellence and leadership potential will have opportunities to rotate to Starlink's facilities in the United States, work on next-generation ground station hardware, or transition into program management roles overseeing pan-India infrastructure rollout.

Hiring Process

Our hiring process for this role consists of five stages designed to be completed within 3–4 weeks:

Application Review: Resume and cover letter screening by the talent acquisition team (3–5 business days).
Technical Phone Screen: 45-minute call with a senior network engineer covering routing fundamentals, troubleshooting scenarios, and career motivations.
Technical Deep-Dive: 90-minute virtual or on-site session involving a live network design exercise, BGP configuration challenge, and automation scripting task.
Cross-Functional Interview: 60-minute conversation with the India Network Operations Manager and a SpaceX engineering liaison to assess collaboration style and cultural fit.
Offer & Onboarding: Competitive offer extended within 5 business days of final interview, with a target start date within 30–45 days.

We encourage candidates from diverse networking backgrounds — whether from ISP, enterprise, cloud provider, or telecom environments — to apply. If you are excited about building internet infrastructure from the ground up in one of the world's fastest-growing broadband markets, we want to hear from you.