Principal Software Engineer, CDN

About the role

SpaceX is building Starlink, a global broadband internet system, and seeks a Principal Software Engineer for its CDN team. This role involves developing a new Content Delivery Network to support Starlink's expanding user base and future services. You will design and implement scalable distributed systems crucial for the network's performance and efficiency. The position requires deep expertise in building responsive and robust content delivery infrastructure under strict performance constraints. You will be responsible for creating algorithms that optimize the use of hardware resources while meeting key performance and cost metrics. Collaboration with cross-functional teams is essential to define system requirements and ensure alignment with Starlink's strategic goals. You will also have the opportunity to lead the design of critical components that impact the global reach of the service.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect, construct, and scale a new Content Delivery Network specifically for Starlink, ensuring high availability and low latency.
• Create responsive and scalable distributed systems that handle massive data flows across heterogeneous network topologies.
• Develop tools, monitoring, and alerts for diagnosing, operating, and maintaining critical systems in real-time to ensure reliability.
• Design algorithms to optimize hardware use and cost efficiency, measured by key performance metrics such as throughput and latency.
• Implement systems for traffic shaping across multiple CDNs to manage network congestion and optimize user experience.
• Participate in and lead architectural, design, and code reviews to maintain high standards of code quality and system integrity.
• Develop prototypes and manage experiments for future Starlink designs and use cases, validating new approaches in production-like environments.
• Collaborate with hardware and software teams to co-design solutions that maximize the efficiency of the CDN stack.
• Troubleshoot complex performance issues by analyzing system metrics, logs, and traces to identify bottlenecks and root causes.
• Mentor junior engineers by providing technical guidance and fostering a culture of best practices in software development.
• Work closely with product managers to translate business requirements into technical specifications for CDN features.
• Ensure all implemented systems adhere to security best practices and regulatory requirements relevant to global deployments.
• Contribute to the open-source community where applicable by sharing insights and reusable components from the CDN project.
• Drive the execution of the CDN roadmap by prioritizing tasks based on impact, complexity, and dependencies.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a STEM field with 10+ years of professional software development experience; or 12+ years of software development experience without a degree.
• Software development experience using C, C++, or Rust to build high-performance and reliable systems.
• 5+ years of professional experience with distributed systems or in designing, building, and scaling CDN systems.
• 7+ years of professional networking experience, including hands-on work with network protocols and stack tuning.
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends when necessary to meet critical project milestones and resolve urgent issues.
• Demonstrated ability to write clean, maintainable, and efficient code that passes rigorous code review.
• Experience with version control systems, build automation, and continuous integration pipelines.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in computer science or engineering.
• Professional experience with complex networking systems (layers 0-7).
• Experience with Edge Networking, DNS, Traffic Management, Caching, Load Balancing, SSL/TLS, DDoS protection, or monitoring.
• Knowledge of network topology, numerical optimization techniques, graph theory, or convex optimization.
• Experience developing, debugging, and deploying scalable software used in real-world applications.
• Creative problem-solving skills, strong analytical abilities, and solid engineering fundamentals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment with evolving needs.

Practical notes

This role is subject to ITAR regulations, requiring applicants to be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee. Compensation includes base salary, long-term incentives (stock, options, cash awards), discretionary bonuses, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Benefits include comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, a 401(k) plan, disability and life insurance, paid parental leave, 3 weeks of paid vacation, 10+ paid holidays, and 5 days of sick leave annually.