Principal Embedded Systems Engineer, Space Vehicle Platform

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 231,000 - 323,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Education support

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to design and own the Linux-based platform infrastructure for a multi-vehicle satellite fleet. You will drive architecture for image management, OTA updates, secure boot, and high-performance logging from edge devices to data centers.

You’ll collaborate with Silicon, Electrical, and RF teams to optimize kernels and drivers for custom SoCs, with a focus on reliability in LEO environments and mission-critical execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related STEM field; or 10+ years of professional software development experience
• 8+ years of experience with C or C++ in a Linux or embedded environment
• Deep proficiency with the Linux kernel, including driver development, memory management, and system-level debugging tools such as GDB, perf, and eBPF
• Experience with build systems such as Buildroot, Yocto, or Bazel

Responsibilities

• Design and implement core Linux-based platform infrastructure, including process management, custom init systems, and robust IPC frameworks
• Lead the architecture for global image management and Over-the-Air (OTA) update systems, ensuring a multi-thousand-vehicle fleet can be updated safely, frequently, and with zero downtime
• Build high-throughput, low-overhead logging and telemetry pipelines capable of reporting health and performance metrics from edge devices to ground-based data centers
• Partner closely with Silicon, Electrical, and RF Engineering teams to bring up new hardware prototypes and optimize the Linux kernel and drivers for custom SoC designs
• Debug and optimize system-level performance bottlenecks, including minimizing context switches and tuning the networking stack for high-frequency satellite links
• Implement secure boot flows, runtime security monitoring, and hardware-backed credential management for all vehicle components
• Own the full software lifecycle from initial design through deployment on satellites operating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Skills

C/C++ in Linux/embedded

Linux kernel & debugging

Build systems (Buildroot Yocto Bazel)

Distributed systems

Rust or Python

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE or 10+ years experience

Tools

GDB

perf

eBPF

Job description

Blue Origin is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to design and own the Linux-based platform infrastructure for a multi-vehicle satellite fleet. You will drive architecture for image management, OTA updates, secure boot, and high-performance logging from edge devices to data centers.

You’ll collaborate with Silicon, Electrical, and RF teams to optimize kernels and drivers for custom SoCs, with a focus on reliability in LEO environments and mission-critical execution.