Senior Software Engineer – Software Defined Network (SDN) and Network Observability Team - TeraWave

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.

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Software Defined Network (SDN) and Network Observability Team, you will design and develop the software systems that manage, route, and monitor Blue Origin's dynamic satellite network in real time. You will build distributed services that enable network planning, orchestration, telemetry processing, and observability across thousands of user terminals, satellites, and terrestrial infrastructure. Working closely with spacecraft,  user, and ground systems engineers, you'll help build resilient software that keeps the constellation operating reliably under constantly changing orbital conditions.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design and develop highly available, low-latency distributed services supporting network orchestration, telemetry collection, and control plane operations across the TeraWave constellation.
• Build software that plans, disseminates, and coordinates state across terrestrial infrastructure,  orbital assets, and users while maintaining reliability and consistency under dynamic network conditions.
• Develop scalable data pipelines capable of ingesting and processing high-volume telemetry streams to improve network visibility and operational responsiveness.
• Design efficient data models and storage solutions using relational, NoSQL, search, and streaming technologies to support real-time operational workflows.
• Build APIs and services that enable reliable communication between network planning, control, and execution components.
• Collaborate with spacecraft, RF, networking, and ground systems engineers to integrate software across the broader TeraWave platform.
• Diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks in large-scale distributed systems with a focus on latency, throughput, and operational reliability.
• Participate in operational support for mission-critical services, including on-call rotations and launch or mission operations as required.
• Contribute to software architecture, design reviews, coding standards, and engineering best practices across the SDN and Network Observability organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience developing distributed systems, network services, or large-scale backend platforms.
• Strong proficiency in one or more systems programming languages such as Go, Rust, Java, or C++.
• Experience building distributed microservices and APIs operating in cloud-native or large-scale production environments.
• Experience with distributed messaging or streaming platforms such as Kafka, Kinesis, Pulsar, or similar technologies.
• Experience designing scalable data systems using SQL, NoSQL, search, or time-series databases.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems fundamentals, including fault tolerance, scalability, consistency, and resiliency.
• Experience troubleshooting production systems using observability tools, metrics, logging, and distributed tracing.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively across multiple engineering disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building software for software-defined networking (SDN), telecommunications, satellite communications, or space systems.
• Experience processing high-volume telemetry or event streams using technologies such as Apache Flink or similar stream-processing frameworks.
• Experience with OpenSearch, Elasticsearch, DynamoDB, or comparable large-scale data platforms.
• Experience building observability platforms supporting real-time operational decision making.
• Familiarity with cloud-native infrastructure and Kubernetes-based deployments.
• Experience supporting mission-critical operational environments, including launch, field operations, or network operations centers.
• Experience working directly with hardware or embedded systems teams to integrate software with physical devices.
• Familiarity with AWS services such as S3, Athena, DynamoDB, and streaming data services.
• Experience optimizing search, indexing, and query performance for large operational datasets.

 

Base Pay Range for:

CA applicants is $248,830.00 - $348,361.65 WA applicants is $248,830.00 - $348,361.65

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check

• Required for Certain Job Profiles:  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation

• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include:  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%, and an Education Support Program.

• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)

• Paid Time Off:  Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

• Dependent on role type and job level, 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. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.