Principal Software Engineer, Compute Architect, Orbital Data Centers

Application close date:

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!

Job Summary

Join Blue Origin as we build infrastructure in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re developing a satellite constellation of orbital data centers, Sunrise, designed to transform how compute infrastructure is deployed and leveraged.

As a Principal Software Engineer for Compute, you will be the chief architect and hands-on developer of the "operating system" for our space-based data centers. This is a senior, individual contributor role where you will operate with a high degree of autonomy to solve one of our most critical challenges: making a distributed fleet of computers in orbit function as a single, cohesive, and programmable platform. Your primary focus will be to define the spacecraft software stack to process AI jobs are received including, but not limited to planning, scheduling, management, storage, start-up/shut down, and handoffs. This will enable the craft to be best-in-class. You will have to be comfortable enabling high efficiency for multi-tenant workloads while being constrained on power, thermal, and connectivity.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Definition, architecture, design, test, and validation of spacecraft compute software.
• Architect and build the orchestration platform for managing containerized workloads across a distributed fleet of orbital compute nodes.
• Design and implement advanced scheduling algorithms to optimize for power, thermal constraints, workload priority, and data locality.
• Develop the control plane, APIs, and related software that enable multi-tenancy, resource allocation, and job submission for workloads.
• Own the software-defined networking and storage strategies
• Design for a highly-available system that rapidly handle failures, intermittent connectivity, and complex orchestration across spacecraft.
• Lead the technical strategy for the entire orchestration stack, from the container runtime and OS-level primitives to the highest-level service layers.
• Lead validation and testing campaigns while working on aggressive timelines for deployment.
• Work closely with hardware and application teams to co-design a platform that is performant, operable, and meets customer needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a similar technical discipline.
• 10+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, or large-scale backend services.
• Deep expertise in building and operating distributed systems, with strong experience in cloud orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes, Mesos, Nomad) and containerization (e.g., Docker).
• Proven experience designing and developing large-scale, high-availability software services and APIs.
• Strong system-architecture capabilities, particularly in the context of cloud-native technologies.
• Experience providing technical leadership for complex software projects.
• Proven demonstration of reducing latency across a product.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience building custom schedulers, controllers, or operators for Kubernetes.
• Deep knowledge of OS-level resource management and optimization.
• Experience building Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) or Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products.
• Familiarity with service mesh technologies and software-defined networking.
• Experience designing systems that are highly autonomous.
• Startup experience or a similar environment where building from the ground up is required.
• Familiarity with the latest compute hardware (GPUs, accelerators) and their integration into orchestrated environments.
• Familiarity with the latest trends in distributed computing.

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to support critical project milestones.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for authorization under U.S. export regulations.

Base Pay Range for:

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, 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.