Principal Software Engineer - Dataplane & Edge Infrastructure

Application close date:

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! 

As a Principal Software Engineer for Dataplane & Edge Infrastructure, you will serve as the primary architect and builder of the TeraWave Point of Presence (PoP) infrastructure. You will lead the design and implementation of next-generation PoP systems, writing the low-level software that handles terabits of traffic with surgical precision. This role requires deep expertise in high-performance networking, systems-level programming, and edge infrastructure to define TeraWave's competitive advantage in satellite communications. You will be responsible for building and optimizing the high-performance data path that processes packets at wire speed, while mentoring engineers and setting technical standards for code quality and system design across the team.

• Architect a scalable, resilient, and ultra-high-performance Point of Presence from the ground up, establishing foundational technical standards and design principles for TeraWave's PoP infrastructure
• Build and optimize the dataplane using DPDK and VPP to ensure wire-speed packet processing and maximum network throughput
• Implement and fine-tune IP networking stacks, including BGP, OSPF, and custom routing logic to support TeraWave's edge networking requirements
• Drive performance engineering efforts to identify and eliminate bottlenecks at the software-hardware interface, optimizing for throughput, latency, and CPU cache efficiency
• Provide technical leadership by mentoring senior engineers and establishing standards for code quality, system design, and infrastructure-as-code principles
• Define and implement edge infrastructure patterns capable of supporting terabits of traffic with high reliability and precision
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate PoP infrastructure with the broader TeraWave satellite communications ecosystem
• Drive continuous improvement in dataplane engineering methodologies, tooling, and deployment processes
• Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies in high-performance networking to sustain TeraWave's technical edge

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on high-performance networking or systems-level programming
• Deep, hands-on experience with DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit) and VPP (Vector Packet Processing), with demonstrated ability to extract maximum performance from network interface hardware
• Expert-level proficiency in C or C++
• Comprehensive understanding of networking protocols including IPv4/v6, BGP, MPLS, VXLAN, and Segment Routing
• Strong knowledge of Linux kernel networking, eBPF/XDP, and system parameter tuning for high-performance workloads
• Demonstrated experience designing or maintaining large-scale distributed systems or ISP-grade edge infrastructure
• Proven ability to lead and mentor engineering teams in complex, technically demanding environments
• Excellent communication skills with ability to translate low-level networking concepts to varied technical audiences

• Master's degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Experience with Rust in a networking or systems programming context
• Experience with SmartNICs or FPGA-based network offloading
• Contributions to open-source networking projects such as FD.io, DPDK, or equivalent
• Experience with containerized networking solutions including Kubernetes CNI and Multus
• Background in satellite communications, space-based network infrastructure, or related technologies
• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code methodologies and tooling at scale
• Experience transitioning high-performance networking systems from prototype to production environments
• History of successfully delivering complex, low-level systems under stringent performance and reliability constraints

Compensation Range for:

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.