Principal Software Engineer, CDN (Starlink)

SpaceX•Palo Alto, CA

4h•$270,000 - $355,000

About The Position

SpaceX is hiring a Principal Software Engineer for Starlink’s CDN team. The team will build scalable distributed systems supporting future Starlink offerings as the service expands. The role involves designing, building, and scaling a new Content Delivery Network, along with developing systems, tools, and algorithms to operate it efficiently and reliably. The position also contributes to traffic management across multiple CDNs and to the development of future design concepts and use cases for Starlink.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or another STEM discipline and 10+ years of professional software development experience; or 12+ years of software development experience in lieu of a degree.
Software development experience in C, C++, or Rust.
5+ years of professional distributed systems experience or experience designing, building, and/or scaling a CDN system.
7+ years of professional networking experience.
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in computer science or engineering.
Professional experience working on complex networking systems across layers 0–7.
Experience with Edge Networking, DNS, Traffic Management, Caching, Load Balancing, SSL/TLS, DDoS protection, and/or monitoring.
Knowledge of network topology, numerical optimization techniques, graph theory approaches, or convex optimization.
Experience developing, debugging, and deploying scalable software used in real-world applications or projects.
Creative problem-solving approach, exceptional analytical skills, and strong engineering fundamentals.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing needs and requirements.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and scale a new Content Delivery Network (CDN) for Starlink.
Build robust, responsive, and scalable distributed systems.
Build tools, visibility, and alerting mechanisms to diagnose, operate, and maintain complex, business-critical systems in real time.
Design algorithms to understand and optimize hardware utilization and cost efficiency against performance metrics.
Implement systems that shape traffic across multiple CDNs.
Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews.
Develop prototypes and manage experiments to evaluate future design concepts and use cases for Starlink.

Benefits

Potential eligibility for long-term incentives in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards.
Potential discretionary bonuses.
Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Various discounts and perks.
Up to 3 weeks of accrued paid vacation.
10 or more paid holidays per year.
5 days of sick leave per year for exempt employees.