Principal Software Engineer - TeraWave RF and Optical Systems

Blue Origin; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Travel up to 10%

Temporary remote work exception

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to own architecture across constrained environments and real-time systems for the TeraWave constellation. You will guide cross‑team collaboration with hardware, silicon and systems teams to deliver reliable, high‑performance software on Linux/RTOS platforms.

You will lead multi‑core embedded software initiatives, drive CI/CD and testing practices, mentor engineers, and shape strategies for scaling and fault tolerance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of embedded software development in C/C++ on Linux/RTOS/Bare-metal.
• Strong proficiency in C++ object-oriented design and implementation.
• Hands-on debugging with SW/HW tools (JTAG, SWD, CoreSight, Lauterbach/Trace32, J-Link, J-Trace).
• Experience with Linux networking and inter-core/processor communications for high-speed data-plane interfaces (Ethernet, Interlaken, JESD), DMA/RDMA, RoCE.
• Experience leading software development teams and mentoring senior engineers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• U.S. citizen or eligible in the U.S.

Responsibilities

• Own software architecture and design for system areas; lead cross-team discussions and prototypes.
• Collaborate with hardware, silicon and systems engineering; guide integration and troubleshooting.
• Lead embedded software design and implementation in C/C++ for Linux/RTOS/Bare-metal on multi-core SoCs.
• Define scaling, fault-tolerance and recovery strategies.
• Set KPIs and develop measurement/optimization methods for compute, memory, storage, and I/O.
• Contribute to documentation, code reviews, and architecture decisions.
• Champion CI/CD, testing and data analysis automation, and TDD.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing software engineering team.

Skills

Embedded software development

C/C++ development

OO design (C++)

Linux networking

Inter-core communication

Team leadership

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering / CS / Electrical Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

JTAG

SWD

CoreSight

Lauterbach/Trace32

J-Link

J-Trace

Job description

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 communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide.

This role is part of the Emerging Systems business unit, which is focused on developing cutting-edge space technologies including TeraWave , Blue Origin's revolutionary space-based networking system. TeraWave is designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps , providing connectivity to locations unreachable by traditional methods and adding a space-based layer to existing network infrastructure.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a vital leadership role within a team of specialists, technicians, and engineers, significantly contributing to the control and data plane architecture of the constellation. Your role will involve utilizing your expertise in software development for constrained environments, real-time operating systems, high-speed handling of data , and encryption to develop and maintain complex software solutions. You will guide software development and optimization efforts, collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams to ensure optimal quality and performance of our systems.

Y our ability to innovate, provide architectural direction, and deliver efficient solutions is crucial to managing the entire development process. Successful senior engineers not only meet complex requirements but also propose and implement innovative, cutting-edge solutions.

Special Mentions

• This role will be onsite in one of these locations - Greater Seattle Area, WA; Bay Area, CA ; San Diego, CA. It is approved for temporary remote work exception while our local site is developed
• Relocation assistance available
• Travel may be required up to 10% of the time

Responsibilities

• Own software architecture and design one or more system areas and represent them in cross-team discussions with chief architects and peer technical leaders, conduct trade studies and develop prototypes to identify architectural options , and propose the best path forward .
• Collaborate with hardware, silicon and systems engineering teams and lead integration campaigns to bring system up the features, troubleshoot problems, and provide solutions.
• Lead critical syste ms d esign and implementation of multi-threaded embedded software in C/C++ to run on Linux/RTOS/Bare-metal platforms, hosted on multi-core SoCs on the TeraWave satellite payload and ground terminals.
• Define and develop strategies for scaling, fault-tolerance and recovery.
• Define performance KPIs (processing latencies, throughput, algorithmic efficiency) and develop methods for measurements and optimization of resources (compute, memory, storage, network and I/O).
• Contribute to technical documentation, code reviews, and system architecture decisions .
• Champion embedded software development , testing and troubleshooting best practices - including CI/CD, test and data analysis automation, TDD.
• Lead the team from front in delivering with speed and quality, and mentor a team of highly skilled software engineers, fostering technical excellence and innovation .

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering , Computer Science , Electrical Engineering, or related field .
• 7 + years of deep experience in embedded software development in C/C++ to run on Linux/RTOS/Bare-metal platforms.
• Strong proficiency in C++ object-oriented design and implementation.
• Hands-on expertise in embedded systems debugging using SW and HW tools (JTAG, SWD, CoreSight , Lauterbach/Trace32, J-Link, J-Trace etc.)
• Experience with Linux networking and inter-core / processor communications between applications that use high-speed data-plane interfaces ( Ethernet, Interlaken, JESD ), DMA/RDMA, RoCE etc.
• Experience leading software development teams and mentoring senior engineers .
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills .
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Engineering , Computer Science , Electrical Engineering , or related field
• 10 + years of experience in embedded software development for missi