Sr Principal Software Engineer - Network Architecture & SDN - TeraWave
About The Position
As a Senior Principal Engineer for Network Architecture & SDN at TeraWave, you will define the strategic vision and architectural foundation for the "brain" of our constellation, pioneering a revolutionary dynamic, self-healing network that operates at orbital speeds across our multi-orbit constellation of 5,408 optically interconnected satellites. You will solve unprecedented challenges in managing a topology that changes every second, orchestrating inter-satellite links (ISLs) that move at 27,000 km/h, and ensuring seamless handoffs for users on the ground—all while defining and enforcing strict power and latency budgets. In this role, you will serve as the foremost technical authority in networking architecture and software-defined networking, establishing foundational principles that will redefine space-based communications. You will shape organizational strategy, mentor technical leaders, and establish TeraWave as an industry leader in advanced networking technologies. This distinguished position offers a once-in-a-career opportunity to create an entirely new paradigm for networking in the space domain, working at the pioneering edge of communications technology and orbital mechanics.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field with 20+ years of experience in network architecture, large-scale distributed systems, or telecommunications
- Recognized expertise in advanced routing protocols, BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, and Segment Routing (SRv6/SR-MPLS) in complex, high-scale environments
- Distinguished track record of architecting SDN controllers and programmable data planes (P4, OpenFlow, or proprietary frameworks)
- Authoritative knowledge of packet processing, ASIC/FPGA forwarding logic, and high-speed switching
- Proven experience establishing architectural direction for satellite, wireless, or cloud-scale service provider networks
- History of technical leadership influencing organizational strategy and direction
- Outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to solve unprecedented technical challenges
- Exceptional technical written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate complex concepts to a variety of audiences
- Experience with development in mission and safety-critical environments
Nice To Haves
- MS/PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
- Extensive experience with LEO/MEO satellite constellations or terrestrial/satellite hybrid networks
- Track record of establishing industry-leading telemetry pipelines and analytics for real-time network health
- Advanced expertise in graph theory or dynamic topology optimization
- Significant contributions to networking standards (IETF, IEEE) or leadership in open-source networking projects
- Patents or published research in relevant networking domains
- Experience defining strategic direction for multi-orbit satellite constellation design and optimization
- Comprehensive understanding of regulatory requirements and implications for satellite communications systems
- Proven ability to establish model-based systems engineering (MBSE) methodologies across organization
Responsibilities
- Define the strategic vision and architectural principles for TeraWave's hybrid space-ground transport network
- Establish groundbreaking technical approaches for multi-hop routing, topology management, and fast-reroute strategies tailored for time-varying LEO constellations
- Pioneer capacity modeling methodologies that translate raw RF link characteristics into industry-leading network-layer models
- Define the architectural framework for a next-generation Software-Defined Networking (SDN) ecosystem managing centralized and distributed control planes
- Establish the strategic direction for real-time Traffic Engineering (TE) and policy enforcement systems that optimize data flow across constrained satellite payloads and terrestrial backbones
- Create the blueprint for programmable transport solutions enabling rapid deployment of new protocols and features
- Establish the vision for a world-class observability stack using in-band and out-of-band telemetry for unparalleled packet-level visibility
- Pioneer "Self-Healing" network principles where real-time telemetry feeds directly into SDN controllers for autonomous congestion management and fault isolation
- Define methodologies for correlating flow-level tracing with link performance to ensure optimal efficiency across the constellation
- Establish architectural principles for packet forwarding that survive the rigors of space, optimizing for latency and throughput under power-constrained environments
- Direct cross-layer optimization strategy, aligning RF and Silicon teams to ensure seamless mobility across beams and satellites
- Serve as the chief technical authority for networking across TeraWave, mentoring technical leaders and defining 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
- employees may be eligible for 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.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
