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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Software Engineer, Compute Architect, Orbital Data Centers - **Company:** Blue Origin - **Location:** Cupertino, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $218,520.0 - $323,082.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Biometrics, Cloud Computing, Cloud Foundry, Computer Engineering, Data Centers, Distributed Systems, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Mesos, Software Engineering, Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), Istio, Backend, Containerization, Kubernetes, Information Technology, SDN Network, Docker - **Published:** October 1, 2026 - **Apply:** https://diversityjobs.com/main/sendform/8/8/28176/1/18485921?backUrl=%2Fcareer%2F18485921%2FPrincipal-Software-Engineer-Compute-Architect-Orbital-Data-Centers-California-Cupertino ## About the Role * 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., * 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. ## Description 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., 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