Radiation Engineer - Spacecraft & Payloads

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! 

Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide.

TeraWave combines LEO and MEO spacecraft, high-throughput RF payloads, optical inter-satellite links, propulsion power electronics, and high-performance avionics. The resulting radiation assurance problem spans mission environments, shielding and layout, EEE part susceptibility, solar-array degradation, materials effects, and fleet-level availability.

As the dedicated TeraWave Radiation Engineer, you will own the end-to-end radiation hardness assurance (RHA) process. You will define mission-specific environments and margins, flow requirements to systems and parts, evaluate designs and test data, guide mitigation, and create the objective evidence needed to accept radiation risk.

Special Mentions [Edit or remove as needed]

• Relocation provided
• Travel: Up to 15% based on business needs.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Develop, maintain, and execute the TeraWave RHA Plan for LEO and MEO spacecraft, payloads, avionics, EPS, propulsion electronics, sensors, optical devices, and solar-array technologies.
• Define and control external and internal radiation environments over the applicable mission lifetime, including trapped particles, solar particle events, galactic cosmic rays, total ionizing dose (TID), displacement damage dose (DDD/TNID), and single-event effects (SEE).
• Translate mission orbit, duration, confidence level, shielding, duty cycle, and availability needs into system, subsystem, unit, circuit, and EEE-part radiation requirements.
• Establish and maintain radiation design margin policy, including risk/criticality-based margin tiers and documented rationale for confidence, uncertainty, and lot-to-lot variability.
• Perform or direct shielding, dose-depth, sectoring/ray-trace, and part-location analyses; work with configuration and mechanical teams to maintain an analyzable spacecraft geometry.
• Evaluate EEE parts and optoelectronics for destructive and non-destructive SEE, TID, enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity, DDD, and application-specific failure thresholds.
• Calculate mission SEE rates and translate device events into circuit, box, subsystem, and system effects such as reset rate, data loss, outage, degraded throughput, latent damage, or destructive failure.
• Partner with EEE Parts Engineering to screen BOMs, assess applicability of heritage and vendor data, disposition radiation risk, and define lot-specific testing or procurement controls.
• Partner with electrical, RF, optical, and avionics hardware designers on radiation mitigation, including part substitution, shielding, current limiting, latch-up protection, filtering, redundancy, circuit-level protection, and operating constraints.
• Support solar-array degradation predictions and end-of-life power assurance with the Solar and EPS teams, maintaining traceability among radiation confidence level, degradation factors, and the authoritative power budget.
• Maintain the radiation risk register, part-by-part evidence status, waivers/deviations, open tests, and residual risk; support design reviews and flight-readiness decisions.
• Monitor emerging radiation-effects data and provide rapid application-specific guidance for new technologies, commercial parts, FPGAs/processors, memories, power semiconductors, RFICs, and photonics.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, physics, aerospace engineering, materials science, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft radiation effects, RHA, radiation test, electronic-device physics, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of TID and SEE mechanisms, radiation environment modeling, shielding, and electronic design mitigation.
• Experience interpreting radiation test data and determining whether data are applicable to a specific part, lot, operating condition, circuit, and mission.
• Ability to derive and communicate radiation requirements, margins, assumptions, uncertainty, and residual risk across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Ability to plan and execute technical work with external radiation test facilities and part suppliers.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in radiation effects, electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, physics, or a related field.
• Experience with both LEO and MEO missions and with trapped-electron/proton environments.
• Experience testing or analyzing modern commercial and automotive-grade electronics, FPGAs, memories, power devices, RF electronics, and optoelectronics.
• Familiarity with JEDEC, ASTM, ESCC, MIL-STD-883, NASA EEE-INST-002, and radiation test standards/guidance.
• Experience connecting device-level radiation response to hardware reliability, availability, system performance, and fleet operations.
• Experience with radiation effects on photovoltaic cells, coverglass selection, optical materials, polymers, adhesives, or coatings.

Base Pay Range for:

CA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45
CO applicants is $144,179.00 - $201,849.90
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.