SOFTWARE ENGINEER - TeraWave - RF and Optical Systems

Blue Origin; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Travel up to 10%

Job summary

Blue Origin in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking a Software Engineer to lead embedded software efforts for the TeraWave constellation. You will design, implement, and optimize real-time software for constrained environments and collaborate across hardware and software teams.

The role emphasizes architectural direction, mentorship of junior engineers, and delivering high-quality solutions with CI/CD practices in a fast-paced space communications program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of embedded software development in C/C++ on Linux/RTOS/bare-metal platforms.
• Strong proficiency in C++ object-oriented design and implementation.
• Hands-on experience with embedded systems debugging using SW/HW tools (JTAG, SWD, CoreSight, Lauterbach/Trace32, J-Link, J-Trace).
• Experience with peripherals (SPI, I3C, I2C, PCIe, CAN) and CI/CD pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop multi-threaded embedded software in C/C++ for Linux/RTOS/Bare-metal platforms.
• Develop and integrate device drivers and control/data plane functions for Satellite RF transceivers and antenna/optical systems.
• Collaborate with hardware teams to integrate software with hardware systems.
• Contribute to technical documentation, code reviews, and design discussions.
• Troubleshoot via telemetry, logs/traces, and debugging tools; lead testing and debugging practices (CI/CD, TDD).
• Mentor junior engineers and drive fast, high-quality software delivery.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

Linux/RTOS

C++ OO design

CI/CD

Debugging tools

Mentoring

Agile

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelors in CS/CE/EE

Tools

JTAG

SWD

CoreSight

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.

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 diverse team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

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 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.

Your 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 and Bay Area, 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 include but are not limited to:

• Design and develop multi-threaded embedded software in C/C++ to run on Linux/RTOS/Bare-metal platforms, hosted on multi-core SoCs,
• Implement custom device drivers and management/control/data plane functions for Satellite RF transceivers, Antenna systems and Optical systems on TeraWave’s Satellite Payload, Customer terminals and Ground Gateway Terminals.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate software with hardware systems.
• Contribute to technical documentation, code reviews, and design discussions
• Troubleshoot problems and debug issues using telemetry, logs/traces, code instrumentation, and software and hardware debugging tools.
• Champion embedded software development, testing and troubleshooting best practices - including CI/CD, test and data analysis automation, TDD.
• Deliver with speed and quality, and mentor junior software engineers, fostering technical excellence and innovation

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 3+ years of 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 developing applications that use standard peripherals - SPI, I3C, I2C, PCIe, CAN etc.
• Experience with with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and Test-Driven Development
• Experience leading software development teams and mentoring junior engineers
• Experience with Agile or Scaled Agile development methodologies
• 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
• 5+ years of experience in embedded software development for mission-critical systems
• Experience with Linux networking and inter-core/processor communications between applications that use high-speed data‑plane interfaces - Ethernet, Interlaken, JESD etc.
• Experience in developing embedded software in or more of these areas - satellite communications systems, space‑based networks, cellular wireless, terrestrial telecommunications systems.
• Experience with developing drivers for proprietary and merchant silicon.
• Experience with formal verification methods for safety‑critical software
• Knowledge of radiation‑hardened computing environments and related software considerations

Why Blue Origin

At Blue Origin