Software Engineer, Linux Kernel (Starlink)

SpaceX; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Performance bonuses

Employee stock purchase plan

Medical, vision, dental

401(k)

Disability & life insurance

Parental leave

Paid vacation

Holidays

Shuttle transportation

Job summary

SpaceX in California is seeking a Software Engineer for the Linux Kernel within the Starlink platform. You will work on the lean Linux OS powering our supercomputer network fabric and satellite laser mesh, pushing the boundaries of AI infrastructure.

You will write high‑performance device drivers, bring up new hardware, and develop tooling for observability and configuration. A strong background in C/C++, kernel internals, and systems debugging is essential to ensure reliability at scale.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/engineering/science or 2+ years of software development experience
• Hands-on system programming experience in C or C++

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain the lean, high-reliability Linux-based OS for the supercomputer network fabric
• Write (or rewrite) high-performance device drivers to extract maximum hardware capability
• Manage deployment, operation, and debugging of the platform in production with observability and configuration management, collaborating with hardware teams to design next-generation hardware

Skills

C/C++

Linux kernel

Kernel debugging

Hardware bring-up

Networking interfaces

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ftrace

perf

Wireshark

tcpdump

eBPF

gdb

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

We design, build, and operate the largest AI supercomputers in the world, from the ground up.

SOFTWARE ENGINEER, LINUX KERNEL (STARLINK)

As a member of the Platform Core team, you will be responsible for the lowest layers of the software stack on the devices setting the pace for how fast we can push the frontier of AI. Our team’s software interfaces directly with the core hardware of the supercomputer and its network fabric.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and maintain the lean, high-reliability Linux-based operating system that underpins our supercomputer network fabric and Starlink laser mesh of satellites.
• Write (or rewrite) high-performance device drivers to extract the maximum physical capability from our network and compute hardware.
• Manage deployment, operation, and debugging of our platform in production, including rigorous resolution and root-causing of anomalies to ensure the system is constantly improving in reliability, developing and constantly improving our tools for observability and configuration management, and collaborating with our hardware teams and external partners to design the next generation of supercomputer hardware and then bring up our OS and software stack on it.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a degree (internship experience is applicable).
• Hands‑on system programming experience in C or C++.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Deep knowledge of the Linux kernel and its networking stack or experience with another production‑grade kernel.
• Proficiency with debugging tools spanning kernel, network, and userspace (e.g., ftrace, perf, Wireshark/tcpdump, eBPF, gdb, and more).
• Experience bringing up new hardware from scratch — you have flashed bare‑metal software on a microcontroller with JTAG, or bootstrapped a Linux kernel and rootfs on new hardware.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and optimizing device/peripheral drivers ideally for high‑speed interfaces, or with advanced considerations like DMA and cache coherency.
• Understanding of major peripheral hardware interface standards (Ethernet, PCIe, I2C, SPI, etc.) — you can critically review a schematic, and debug these interfaces if needed.
• Experience with product security, OS/system hardening, and secure boot schemes.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay Range: Level 1: $125,000.00 - $165,000.00 Level 2: $145,000.00 - $200,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX.

• You may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of company stock or long‑term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks.
• You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year.
• Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law.
• Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here . SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.