Software Engineer III - TeraWave

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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!

Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based connectivity with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This network will service tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations.

We are seeking a Software Engineer to join our Dataplane team and design the high-performance, fast-path software that powers the TeraWave Point of Presence (PoP).

This role will be instrumental in building the network edge software that enables the TeraWave constellation to deliver revolutionary global connectivity, operating at the critical intersection of the Linux kernel and user-space networking.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in systems programming, high-performance packet processing, and carrier-grade networking software, thriving in an environment where microsecond-level performance and mission-critical reliability are non-negotiable.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design and develop high-performance packet processing applications in C/C++ using DPDK and FD.io VPP to power the TeraWave PoP
• Profile and optimize software to achieve line-rate performance at 100G/400G speeds while minimizing latency and jitter
• Implement and integrate IP routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS) and tunneling encapsulation headers including SRv6, MPLS, and GRE
• Develop drivers and software interfaces for hardware accelerators, SmartNICs, and FPGA-offload engines supporting the TeraWave dataplane
• Architect distributed dataplane systems capable of scaling horizontally across TeraWave PoP clusters
• Provide technical leadership, conduct in-depth code reviews, and mentor junior engineers on low-level systems programming
• Collaborate with platform, hardware, and network engineering teams to define dataplane software requirements and interfaces
• Drive continuous performance benchmarking and optimization of packet forwarding pipelines
• Contribute to software architecture decisions and technology selection for the TeraWave network edge infrastructure

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 2+ years of experience in systems programming with a demonstrated track record of shipping carrier-grade networking software
• Expert-level proficiency in C or C++
• Strong experience with Linux systems programming including threading, memory management, and interrupt handling
• Solid understanding of the OSI model, TCP/IP stack, and Ethernet switching fundamentals

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit) or VPP (Vector Packet Processing)
• Knowledge of eBPF, XDP, or Linux Kernel networking internals
• Experience working with Mellanox/NVIDIA (MLNX_OFED), Intel E810, or Broadcom DNX-based silicon
• Deep understanding of BGP, EVPN, and Segment Routing (SRv6)
• Experience with CPU pinning, NUMA-awareness, and cache-line optimization techniques
• Experience with containerized networking including Kubernetes CNI and DPDK-in-Docker deployments
• Background in space systems, satellite communications, or telecommunications networking
• Base Pay Range for: CA applicants is $207,416.00 - $290,381.70
WA applicants is $207,416.00 - $290,381.70
• Other site ranges may differ
• Culture Statement
• 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.
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