Principal Software Engineer, Power Optimization (Starlink)

Redmond, WA · USD 210,000-345,000 · 8+ years experience · Posted Sep 23, 2026

At a glance

As a Software Engineer on the Power Optimization team, you will be responsible for high-performance, safety-critical software that makes billions of operational decisions per day for 10k+ Starlink satellites.
You will develop algorithms to keep satellites flying safely, maximize their network value, and build first-principles physics models of satellite power and thermal behavior.

Write highly reliable ground and vehicle software to control thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit.
Develop constellation optimization algorithms, working with engineers across many disciplines to understand satellite operational requirements and physical constraints.
Design future satellite constellations: define requirements and build simulations for rapid iteration on hardware and software trades.
Own the complete lifecycle of your code, including development, testing, verification, rollout, and monitoring.
Participate in code reviews for others, and maintain a high standard for code quality.

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or STEM discipline and 8+ years of professional experience in software development / solving optimization problems; OR 10+ years of professional experience in software development / solving optimization problems in lieu of a degree
Proficiency in C/C++ or another systems programming language (e.g. Rust).
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Experience with production software environments where reliability and correctness guarantees are essential.
Deep understanding of software performance, and ability to write fast, performance-oriented code.
Experience with profilers, vectorization/SIMD, runtime, and memory optimization is a plus.
Understanding of version control, testing, continuous integration, builds, deployment, and monitoring.
Strong math and physics knowledge.
First-principles thinking and willingness to push systems to their objective physical limit.
Strong sense of ownership and attention to detail.
Passion for working with satellites and advancing the commercial space industry.

Level 3 base salary range: $210,000.00 - $345,000.00
Long-term incentives in the form of company stock 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
401(k) retirement plan
Short and long-term disability insurance and life insurance
Paid parental leave
3 weeks of paid vacation and 10 or more paid holidays per year
Paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law for Washington State employees

Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.