Principal Software Engineer (Dataplane & Edge Infrastructure)

TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer (Dataplane & Edge Infrastructure): Architecting and building the TeraWave Point of Presence (PoP) infrastructure for a satellite communications network with an accent on low-level software and high-performance networking. Focus on optimizing the data path using DPDK and VPP, eliminating bottlenecks at the software-hardware interface, and implementing complex routing logic.

Location: Greater Seattle Area. Must be a U.S. citizen, national, permanent resident, refugee, or granted asylum

Salary: $290,709 - $406,991

Company

hirify.global is an aerospace company developing reusable space vehicles and the TeraWave satellite communications network to provide global high-speed connectivity.

What you will do

• Architect a scalable, resilient, and ultra-high-performance Point of Presence (PoP) infrastructure from the ground up.
• Build and optimize the dataplane using DPDK and VPP to ensure wire-speed packet processing.
• Implement and fine-tune IP networking stacks, including BGP, OSPF, and custom routing logic.
• Drive performance engineering to eliminate bottlenecks at the software-hardware interface, optimizing for throughput and latency.
• Provide technical leadership by mentoring senior engineers and establishing standards for code quality and system design.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate PoP infrastructure with the broader satellite communications ecosystem.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on high-performance networking or systems-level programming.
• Expert-level proficiency in C or C++.
• Deep, hands-on experience with DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit) and VPP (Vector Packet Processing).
• Comprehensive understanding of networking protocols: IPv4/v6, BGP, MPLS, VXLAN, and Segment Routing.
• Strong knowledge of Linux kernel networking, eBPF/XDP, and system parameter tuning.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, national, permanent resident, refugee, or granted asylum (Export Control Regulations).

Nice to have

• Experience with Rust in a networking or systems programming context.
• Experience with SmartNICs or FPGA-based network offloading.
• Contributions to open-source networking projects such as FD.io or DPDK.
• Experience with containerized networking (Kubernetes CNI, Multus).
• Background in satellite communications or space-based network infrastructure.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with a company match of up to 5%.
• Stock options for all regular employees.
• Generous paid time off: up to 4 weeks per year plus 14 company-paid holidays.
• Paid parental leave and an Education Support Program.