Senior Hardware Design Engineer

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! 

This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

The ACE Formulation team shapes what Blue Origin builds next — from spacecraft to lunar mobility systems to the infrastructure that will support a sustained human presence on the Moon. We're a multidisciplinary group spanning power, thermal/fluids, GNC, autonomy, command and control, data handling, avionics, and propulsion — working across projects, studies, and programs in a rapid, early-phase design environment. The decisions we make here set the trajectory for programs that will fly, roll, and operate on the lunar surface for decades.

We're looking for a Hardware Design Engineer who blends hands-on building with systems-level thinking. You'll own avionics hardware across its full lifecycle — from component selection through integrated system test — supporting a portfolio that spans orbital spacecraft, lunar mobility vehicles, and lunar surface infrastructure. And you won't just be designing on a screen. You'll be in the lab prototyping, building harnesses, soldering, and testing the hardware you create.

This role lives at the intersection of design, build, and collaboration. You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with mechanical, thermal, software, and systems engineers to define vehicle and system architectures and get avionics successfully integrated. Success here takes a bias for action, comfort with ambiguity, and the instinct to find a path forward when the requirements aren't fully baked yet.

If you're passionate about seeing your designs fly — or drive across the lunar surface — and aren't afraid to get your hands dirty to make it happen, keep reading.

What You'll Do

Design & Analysis Lead the design of avionics and power systems for spacecraft, lunar mobility platforms, and surface infrastructure — covering generation, energy storage, regulation, and distribution. Develop schematics, manage PCB layout in Altium or Cadence, run SPICE simulations, and perform the circuit analyses (WCCA, derating, power, timing) that keep hardware reliable across orbital, cislunar, and lunar surface environments. Apply radiation hardening principles (TID, SEE) to component selection and architecture decisions.

Hands-On Build & Test Prototype, fabricate, and rework hardware in the lab. Build and modify wire harnesses, solder components, integrate sensors, and troubleshoot complex issues across integrated systems. Create test plans and procedures at the board, box, and system levels — then run them. Support vehicle- and system-level testing and launch or deployment campaigns when the hardware is ready to leave the building.

Collaboration & Integration Partner with mechanical and thermal teams to influence vehicle and habitat layout, packaging, and connector selection. Define requirements and interfaces for sensors like IMUs, star trackers, magnetometers, pressure transducers, and temperature sensors — spanning analog, SPI, I2C, UART, RS-422, CAN, and Ethernet. Own electrical power budgets and manage margin across mission phases, from launch through lunar surface operations.

What You'll Bring

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 7+ years designing avionics or power hardware for aerospace, defense, automotive, or other high-reliability applications
• A genuine hands-on track record — you've built and reworked harnesses and prototype electronics, not just reviewed someone else's work
• Strong grasp of circuit analysis fundamentals (WCCA, derating, power, timing)
• Working knowledge of the space radiation environment and how it affects electronics
• Fluency across sensor types and their analog/digital interfaces
• Experience with Altium Designer, Cadence, or a comparable schematic/PCB toolchain

Bonus Points For

• MS in a related technical discipline
• End-to-end avionics development on a spaceflight, planetary surface, or robotic mobility mission
• Environmental testing experience (thermal, vacuum, vibration, shock, dust) per SMC-S-016, MIL-STD-810, or similar
• Deep experience with power generation, energy storage, power electronics, or distribution (photovoltaics, DC/DC converters, battery systems, fault protection)
• High-voltage power system design
• Experience with lunar- or planetary-surface systems, rover avionics, or long-duration surface power architectures
• Experience with embedded compute architectures and firmware — including board-level design around FPGAs, MCUs, and SoCs, and HDL development in VHDL or Verilog
• Experience designing closed-loop feedback control systems — motor control, actuators, power regulation, or pointing/stabilization loops
• Systems-level thinking around requirements and verification — formal SE background not required; we care how you think, not where you learned it

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

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

Benefits

• Benefits include:  Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off:  Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.