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Sr. Software Engineer, CDN (Starlink)

Join SpaceX as a Senior Software Engineer to design and scale a new Content Delivery Network for Starlink's global internet service.

Location
Palo Alto, CA
Compensation
$175k–$280k/yr
Level
senior
Type
full time

Posted by employer 2 months ago

First seen on Joblaze 2 months ago

Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago

Requirements

Experience
5+ years
Education
Bachelor's degree
Visa
Sponsorship available

Not disclosed in this posting: work arrangement.

Benefits

401k Match Paid Vacation Equity/Stock Options Paid Holidays Sick Leave Health Insurance Company Shuttle Parental Leave

Joblaze summary

In this role, the Sr. Software Engineer will focus on designing and scaling a new Content Delivery Network (CDN) for Starlink, ensuring robust and responsive distributed systems. Proficiency in C, C++, or Rust, along with extensive experience in distributed systems and networking, is essential for success. This position is ideal for seasoned engineers with a strong background in complex networking systems and a creative approach to problem-solving. SpaceX's dynamic environment offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology that aims to revolutionize global internet access.

Joblaze insights

  • Listed about 2 months ago — first seen on Joblaze August 5, 2026. Last confirmed on SpaceX's careers page October 9, 2026.
  • This exact title is also open at 2 other locations at SpaceX: Hawthorne, CA, Redmond, WA.
  • Salary band is in line with the typical range for Backend roles (median ~$180,000).
  • Starts above 74% of 66 comparable senior backend roles in United States that list C++ we track (median $165,000 across 27 companies). See C++ salary trends
  • C++ appears in 17% of 505 comparable senior backend roles in United States; CDN appears in 0.2% of 505 comparable senior backend roles in United States.

Quick facts

What's the salary range?
SpaceX lists $175,000–$280,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?
At least 5 years of relevant experience for this Sr. Software Engineer, CDN (Starlink) role.
What's the tech stack?
Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: C++, CDN, DDoS Protection, DNS, Edge Networking, Load Balancing.
Does SpaceX sponsor work visas for this role?
Yes — the posting indicates visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.
What seniority level is this role?
SpaceX targets senior candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?
Full-time for this Sr. Software Engineer, CDN (Starlink) role at SpaceX.

From the original posting

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SR. SOFTWARE ENGINEER, CDN (STARLINK)

At SpaceX we’re leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to 10M+ users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact and are looking for the world’s best engineers to help maximize Starlink’s utility for communities and businesses around the globe.

As Starlink grows to serve billions of users around the world, we’re continuously assessing ways to maximize the use of our technology for people around the world. Our CDN team will be pivotal in this effort, building scalable distributed systems that underly the future offerings Starlink is able to provide to users and customers around the world.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Design, build, and scale a new Content Delivery Network (CDN) for Starlink
  • Build robust, responsive, and scalable distributed systems.
  • Build the necessary tools, visibility, and alerting mechanisms to effectively diagnose, operate, and maintain complex, business-critical systems in real-time.
  • Design algorithms to understand and optimize hardware utilization and cost efficiency, evaluated against intuitive and business-critical performance metrics.
  • Implement the systems which shape traffic across multiple CDNs.
  • Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews.
  • Develop prototypes and manage experiments to prove out future design concepts and future use cases for Starlink.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or other STEM discipline AND 5+ years of professional experience in software development; 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.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • 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.
  • Creative approach to problem solving, exceptional analytical skills, and engineering fundamentals.
  • Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
  • Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing needs and requirements.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:
Software Engineer /Senior: $175,000.00 - $280,000.00/per year

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k)-retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Exempt employees are eligible for 5 days of sick leave per year. Company shuttles are offered to employees for round trip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

Standard company text repeated across SpaceX's postings is omitted here.

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