Full-Time

GN&C Hardware Lead Responsible Engineer

Updated on 2/15/2025

Blue Origin

Blue Origin

10,001+ employees

Offers suborbital space tourism experiences

Aerospace
Entertainment

Compensation Overview

$140k - $213.1kAnnually

+ Discretionary Bonus

Senior, Expert

No H1B Sponsorship

Seattle, WA, USA + 1 more

More locations: Denver, CO, USA

US Citizenship Required

Category
Space & Rocket Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Required Skills
Python
MATLAB
Data Analysis

You match the following Blue Origin's candidate preferences

Employers are more likely to interview you if you match these preferences:

Degree
Experience
Requirements
  • B.S. in Physics, Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace engineering or related areas of study
  • 10+ years of related experience with high-reliability electro-mechanical, electro-optical, or RF sensors and components for harsh and/or highly regulated environments including space, military, or automotive industries
  • Knowledge of multiple GN&C sensors, their related system components (inertial sensors, optical sensors, lenses, laser sources, RF or image processing electronics, etc.) and their characterization
  • Demonstrated experience in the development, prototyping, testing, and calibration of sensors for aerospace, military, automotive, medical, or precision robotics applications
  • Demonstrated experience in component procurement, integration, and test support
  • Demonstrated experience in test and verification of navigation or related sensors, actuators, supporting electronics and mechanical assemblies
  • Hands-on experience and proven ability to work with test, flight, and safety-critical hardware
  • Familiarity with documentation and product lifecycle management tools such as Windchill, Teamcenter, or similar
  • Familiarity with requirements management tools such as DOORS, Jama Connect, or similar
  • Knowledge of design and construction standards for high reliability electronics and mechanical components (NASA, MIL-STD, IEEE, IPC, etc.)
  • Experience with analytical and scripting tools such as Matlab, LabView, or Python
  • Experience in product schedule, cost, delivery, and supplier management
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a fast paced, dynamic work environment
  • Ability to perform data analysis and reduction and present technical information in a clear and compelling visual format
  • Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and strengthen our culture of inclusion
  • 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
Responsibilities
  • Lead the planning and coordination of resources necessary to successfully deliver and integrate GN&C sensors and related hardware to lunar lander vehicle systems
  • Collaborate in the development of navigation and sensor hardware requirements from system-level specifications with flow-downs to subsystem and component levels, and companion verification methods
  • Lead and coordinate the design, development, integration, testing, and overall lifecycle management of GN&C hardware components and systems
  • Coordinate the design of sensor architecture and hardware configurations through design studies and sensor performance trade-offs
  • Perform and guide testing and analysis of sensor hardware, including laboratory and flight testing, shock/vibration, thermal vacuum, and radiation environments, to validate top-level system specifications and requirements and establish sensor performance specifications
  • Support the design, procurement, fabrication, test and characterization of prototype hardware
  • Support the development and execution of component-level test programs, including sensor characterization, sensor modeling, and integrated on-vehicle testing
  • Support hardware-in-the-loop testing, on-vehicle functional testing, and flight testing
  • Routinely collaborate with manufacturing operations, supply chain, and other teams within the company to ensure smooth execution of development, integration, and test efforts
  • Define, deploy, and enhance technical and programmatic processes as needed to ensure efficient team operations and timely deliverables in support of ambitious program objectives
Desired Qualifications
  • M.S. in Physics, Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace engineering or equivalent with 10+ years of relevant experience
  • Hands on experience with spacecraft vehicle or satellite system integration and test
  • Experience in development of GN&C related sensors and instruments for space applications and space environments
  • Knowledge and experience with navigation systems that include measurements from IMU, GPS, lidar, radar, star trackers, and optical sensors
  • Detailed knowledge EEE part selection and screening for space applications
  • Working knowledge of NASA human spaceflight standards
  • Experience in leading or supporting technical teams through multiple successful product deliveries

Blue Origin focuses on making space travel accessible through suborbital space tourism. The company offers unique experiences where passengers can travel to the edge of space aboard their reusable rocket, New Shepard. This rocket takes passengers on an 11-minute journey, allowing them to experience several minutes of weightlessness and stunning views of Earth from over 100 kilometers high. Blue Origin generates revenue by selling premium tickets for these flights, targeting affluent individuals and space enthusiasts. Unlike many competitors, Blue Origin not only provides space tourism but is also developing advanced rocket engines and technologies for potential sales to other aerospace companies and government agencies. The company's goal is to lead in the commercial spaceflight market while expanding into lunar landers and other space exploration technologies.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

Grant

Total Funding

$112.9M

Headquarters

Kent, Washington

Founded

2000

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Growing interest in space tourism boosts demand for Blue Origin's services.
  • Partnerships in educational programs foster a new generation of space enthusiasts.
  • Advancements in AI enhance Blue Origin's rocket design and mission planning.

What critics are saying

  • Increased competition from SpaceX threatens Blue Origin's market share.
  • Recent layoffs may impact Blue Origin's innovation and project execution.
  • New Glenn rocket's booster failure could undermine confidence in Blue Origin's technology.

What makes Blue Origin unique

  • Blue Origin focuses on reusable rockets for cost-effective space tourism.
  • The company offers unique suborbital experiences with its New Shepard rocket.
  • Blue Origin develops advanced rocket engines with precise control and deep throttling capabilities.

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Benefits

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

401k

PTO

Relocation

Education Support Program

Dog friendly

Bundled insurance rates

Company paid life & disability

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
Jalopnik
Feb 13th, 2025
Bezos' Blue Origin Thinks It Will Compete With SpaceX By Laying Off 10 Percent Of Workforce

Blue Origin announced on Thursday that it will be laying off 10 percent of its workforce, around 1,400 employees.

GeekWire
Feb 13th, 2025
Blue Origin To Lay Off 10% Of Workforce — Read Memo From Ceo To Employees

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket on its Florida launch pad in January. (Blue Origin Photo)Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture plans to cut about 10% of its workforce according to an announcement Thursday by the Kent, Wash.-based company’s CEO.“Our primary focus in 2025 and beyond is to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness, and efficiency for our customers,” Dave Limp said in an email to employees, obtained by GeekWire (read in full below). “We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed.”Limp said the makeup of Blue Origin must change to ensure that roles are best aligned with executing on company priorities. Positions in engineering, RD, and program/project management are being eliminated, and layers of management are being thinned, he added.The layoffs will affect roughly 1,400 of the company’s nearly 14,000 employees and come just a few weeks after the first successful launch of the company’s heavy-lift New Glenn rocket. It was a milestone achievement for Bezos, the Amazon founder who started Blue Origin in 2000.Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, left, and CEO Dave Limp monitor the countdown to the New Glenn rocket’s launch from Mission Control last month. (Blue Origin via YouTube)In an earlier all-hands meeting with employees on Thursday, Limp said, “We just came to the painful conclusion that we aren’t set up for the kind of success that we really wanted to have,” as Blue Origin aims to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its dominant Falcon 9

The Spokesman-Review
Feb 13th, 2025
Bezos-led Blue Origin rocket company to cut 10 percent of its workforce

In a Thursday email to employees, Blue Origin chief executive Dave Limp said the company is eliminating some engineering and research jobs while also cutting out middle management.

Inspire2Rise
Feb 13th, 2025
Blue Origin to Cut Jobs, Focus on Rocket Launches Amid Cost Cuts

Blue Origin plans major layoffs, cutting hundreds to over a thousand jobs to reduce costs and focus on increasing rocket launch frequency, reports say.

New Atlas
Jan 17th, 2025
Video: New Glenn rocket blasts into orbit

Today's launch comes after 15 years of development and setbacks as Blue Origin worked to develop a semi-reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle that could rival companies like SpaceX and United Launch Alliance for commercial and military space contracts.