Principal Software Engineer, CDN (Starlink)
SpaceX · Hawthorne, CA
Posted 20 days ago · $255,000.00 - $340,000.00
or apply directly on SpaceX's site. We never take the application ourselves.
Is this posting real?
- This role has been open
- 20 days SpaceX's roles stay open a median of 45 days
- Reposted
- No
- Salary listed
- Yes 52% of SpaceX's roles list one
- Ghost-job risk at SpaceX
- high 1459 stale, 43 reposted of 2,362 open
- Hiring momentum
- 3062 roles opened in the last 90 days ↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
- Last confirmed on the employer's board
- 2026-09-17
Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from SpaceX's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for SpaceX.
About this role
As a Principal Software Engineer for the CDN team at SpaceX, you will design and build a new Content Delivery Network for Starlink, focusing on scalable distributed systems. Your role will involve creating tools for real-time system diagnostics, optimizing hardware utilization, and leading architecture and code reviews. You will also develop prototypes to explore future design concepts for Starlink's offerings.
- benefits
- 5/5
- freshness
- 4/5
- career value
- 5/5
- role clarity
- 4/5
- pay transparency
- 5/5
Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of SpaceX as an employer.
What you need
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or other STEM discipline AND 10+ years of professional experience in software development; Or 12+ years of software development experience in lieu of a degree
- Software development experience in C, C++, or Rust
- 5+ years of professional distributed systems experience or experience designing, building, and scaling a CDN system
- 7+ years of professional networking experience
Nice to have
- Advanced degree in computer science or engineering
- Professional experience working on complex networking systems (layers 0-7)
- Experience with Edge Networking, DNS, Traffic Management, Caching, Load Balancing, SSL/TLS, DDoS protection, and/or monitoring
- Knowledgeable in network topology, numerical optimization techniques, graph theory approaches, or convex optimization
- Developed, debugged, and deployed scalable software that has been used in real world applications/projects
What you get
- Pay range: $255,000.00 - $340,000.00/per year
- Eligibility for long-term incentives, in the form of 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
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
- Access to a 401(k)-retirement plan
Worth weighing
- Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- No specific technologies or frameworks mentioned for the CDN system, which may imply a lack of clarity on the tech stack
Summarised from SpaceX's posting. Read the full original.
Listed by SpaceX on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-09-17. PitchMeAI is not the employer.
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