Sr. Software Engineer, CDN (Starlink)

SpaceX • Palo Alto, CA

2d

About The Position

SpaceX is developing Starlink, a broadband internet system and the world’s largest satellite constellation, serving more than 10 million users worldwide. The CDN team will build scalable distributed systems that support future Starlink offerings as the service expands to users and customers around the world.

The Sr. Software Engineer, CDN will design, build, and scale a new content delivery network for Starlink. The role involves developing distributed systems, tools and operational visibility, algorithms for hardware utilization and cost efficiency, and systems for shaping traffic across multiple CDNs. The engineer will contribute to architecture and code reviews and develop prototypes and experiments to validate future designs and use cases.

Applicants must meet U.S. export-control eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or another STEM discipline and 5+ years of professional software development experience, or 7+ years of software development experience in lieu of a degree.
• Software development experience in C, C++, or Rust.
• 3+ years of professional distributed systems experience or experience designing, building, and scaling a CDN system.
• 3+ years of professional networking experience.
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
• Must meet U.S. export-control eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

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 using business-critical 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 validate future design concepts and Starlink use cases.

Benefits

• Potential eligibility for long-term incentives, including 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.
• Medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Various other discounts and perks.
• Accrual of 3 weeks of paid vacation.
• 10 or more paid holidays per year.
• 5 days of sick leave per year for exempt employees.
• Company shuttles for round-trip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office, Monday to Friday.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior