Infrastructure Security Engineer (Bare Metal & Platform)

xAI is building advanced AI systems designed to understand and represent the universe while supporting humanity's quest for discovery and knowledge. The company operates with a lean, driven team structured around engineering excellence and direct contribution to its core mission. This Infrastructure Security Engineer role sits within the Information Security team and offers the opportunity to shape how a rapidly scaling organization secures its computing foundations.

About xAI

xAI represents a frontier-focused AI company committed to creating systems that can comprehend complex phenomena and assist in human discovery. The organization values hands-on expertise, individual initiative, and teams that move fast while maintaining high standards. Within a flat structure, leadership flows to those who demonstrate sustained excellence and clear communication. All staff contribute directly to infrastructure and product work, making this an environment where security engineering directly influences how systems are built and operated.

What you'll do

• Design, build, and secure bare-metal and private-cloud infrastructure layers including servers, storage, firmware, BMC management, and secure boot implementations across data centers and colocation facilities

• Establish and maintain hardened OS baselines using Linux and Windows aligned with CIS benchmarks, oversee patch and vulnerability management, and manage physical and virtual fleet security at scale

• Architect hybrid connectivity and network foundations spanning on-premises to cloud environments using site-to-site VPN, direct connect options, SD-WAN, and zero-trust access models

• Develop secure container and Kubernetes standards for bare-metal and private-cloud deployments, including RBAC, network policy, and secrets management

• Build Infrastructure as Code and configuration management automation using Puppet, Terraform, and Python with embedded security controls across physical and virtual infrastructure

• Secure CI/CD pipelines by integrating code and image scanning, collaborating with development teams to embed security into deployment workflows

• Monitor security events and infrastructure incidents, maintain SIEM data pipelines that aggregate network, host, and cloud telemetry, and develop alerting and dashboard systems using Python and Terraform

What you'll bring

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field plus three to five years of hands-on infrastructure security or platform security experience

• Proven expertise securing bare-metal, data-center, or private-cloud environments with direct experience in firmware, BMC/iDRAC/iLO management, PXE/Kickstart provisioning, and hardware lifecycle security

• Strong production-level proficiency with Puppet for fleet hardening and configuration management, plus solid experience with Terraform for Infrastructure as Code

• Hands-on knowledge of network security including firewalls, segmentation, and hybrid identity systems such as Active Directory, LDAP, or federated cloud IAM

• Programming or scripting capability in Python, Bash, and ideally Golang for automation and tooling development

• Understanding of containerization and Kubernetes security architecture, familiarity with regulatory frameworks including GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and NIST CSF

• Proactive ownership mindset with critical thinking and problem-solving ability; ability to communicate complex topics clearly to teammates

Nice to have

• Deep operational expertise with VMware, OpenStack, Proxmox, Nutanix, or comparable private-cloud platforms

• Security certifications such as CCSP, CSSK, or OSCP

• Background in banking, money transmission, payments, or other heavily regulated financial platforms

• Relocation willingness or current presence in Palo Alto, Austin, New York, or Seattle