Principal Software Engineer - Networking Architecture and SDN - TeraWave

BLUE ORIGIN•Seattle, WA

21h

About The Position

As a Principal Engineer for Network Architecture & SDN at TeraWave, you will be the primary architect behind the "brain" of our constellation, designing a dynamic, self-healing network that operates at orbital speeds across our multi-orbit constellation of 5,408 optically interconnected satellites. You will be solving for a topology that changes every second, managing inter-satellite links (ISLs) that move at 27,000 km/h, and ensuring seamless handoffs for users on the ground—all while maintaining strict power and latency budgets. In this role, you will leverage your deep expertise in networking architecture and software-defined networking to create the foundation for a revolutionary space-based communications system. Networking in LEO is fundamentally different from terrestrial fiber, requiring innovative approaches to routing, traffic management, and network resilience. This position offers a rare opportunity to redefine networking for the space domain, working at the intersection of advanced communications technology and orbital mechanics.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field with 15+ years of experience in network architecture, large-scale distributed systems, or telecommunications
Deep expertise in BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, and Segment Routing (SRv6/SR-MPLS) in complex, high-scale environments
Proven track record of building or managing SDN controllers and programmable data planes (P4, OpenFlow, or proprietary frameworks)
Deep understanding of packet processing, ASIC/FPGA forwarding logic, and high-speed switching
Experience leading cross-domain architecture for satellite, wireless, or cloud-scale service provider networks
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Excellent technical written and verbal communication skills
Experience with development in mission and safety-critical environments

Nice To Haves

MS/PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
Direct experience with LEO/MEO satellite constellations or terrestrial/satellite hybrid networks
Experience building large-scale telemetry pipelines and analytics for real-time network health
Background in graph theory or dynamic topology optimization
Track record of contributing to networking standards (IETF, IEEE) or open-source networking projects
Experience with multi-orbit satellite constellation design and optimization
Understanding of regulatory requirements for satellite communications systems
Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and methodologies

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end design of a hybrid space-ground transport network
Define technical strategy for multi-hop routing, topology management, and fast-reroute strategies tailored for time-varying LEO constellations
Drive capacity modeling that translates raw RF link characteristics into high-performance network-layer models
Architect a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) framework to manage centralized and distributed control planes
Implement real-time Traffic Engineering (TE) and policy enforcement to optimize data flow across constrained satellite payloads and terrestrial backbones
Design programmable transport solutions that allow for rapid deployment of new protocols and features
Build a world-class observability stack using in-band and out-of-band telemetry for packet-level visibility
Develop "Self-Healing" network logic where real-time telemetry feeds directly into SDN controllers for automated congestion management and fault isolation
Correlate flow-level tracing with link performance to ensure peak efficiency across the constellation
Design packet forwarding architectures that survive the rigors of space, optimizing for latency and throughput under power-constrained environments
Lead cross-layer optimization efforts, working alongside RF and Silicon teams to ensure seamless mobility across beams and satellites
Act as the technical authority for networking across TeraWave, mentoring senior staff and influencing long-term hardware and software roadmaps

Benefits

Medical
Dental
Vision
Basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short and long-term disability
401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays
Benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.