Lead Principal Systems Engineer - Zero Boil Off

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 the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. To further Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

We are actively seeking a Lead Principal Systems Engineer to play a pivotal role in our ambitious Zero Boil Off (ZBO) cryocooler program, focused on pushing the boundaries of aerospace technology. As part of a passionate, mission driven, and accomplished team of experts, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to design, qualify, and integrate ZBO’s cryocooler technology onto launch vehicles and/or payloads.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years designing, analyzing, qualifying, and launching flight hardware, with progression into lead or principal systems engineering roles, and has served as the technical authority for a complex flight system from concept through qualification, with deep expertise in thermodynamic cycles and cryogenic or thermal-fluid systems. As the Principal Systems Engineer for ZBO (based in Kent, WA), you will be the single-threaded technical leader for the cryocooler system, owning the system architecture and technical baseline across all products (turbomachinery, heat exchangers, avionics, software, and the associated fluid and electrical interfaces) and leading all systems engineering activities for the team. There is no "standard day" in this role: on any given day you may run a MATLAB cycle model to close a cooling-versus-input-power trade, review a P&ID or avionics interface with a design engineer, negotiate mass, power, and envelope allocations with a vehicle team, chair a design review, or present a risk-based recommendation to executive leadership. We're looking for someone technically ambitious, with a proven record of building processes and maturing new technology where your technical judgment is the constant that ties it all together.

Special Mentions:

Relocation provided

This position is based in Kent, WA

Travel expected up to 25% of the time to support customer coordination, testing, and launch activities

Interviews will include a technical assessment

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Drive the end-to-end thermal cycle systems requirement for flight — architecture, technical baseline, performance, and margins across all cryocooler products. Must be able to deep-dive and understand thermodynamic cycles such as Reverse Brayton, Joule-Thomson, and similar

• Serve as technical authority during flight hardware design, with signature authority for system-level changes, risk dispositions, nonconformances, and failure review boards

• Act as the primary technical interface to vehicle customers: elicit, negotiate, and document requirements and interfaces (mechanical, fluid, electrical, power, controls, data, mass, envelope, thermal, materials)

• Develop and maintain launch and in-space CONOPS across ground processing, launch, ascent, coast, and long-duration ops — covering all operating modes and off-nominal scenarios

• Develop and maintain MBSE and physics-based system models characterizing architecture performance. Lead performance trade studies and turn analytical results into architecture and design decisions.

• Provide technical oversight across all product engineering disciplines (avionics, software, fluids, thermal, turbomachinery) to ensure there is cohesive collaboration.

• Lead all ZBO systems engineering activities and define the team's weekly technical rhythm across design, analysis, and test

• Develop ZBO product roadmaps and technical strategies, including evolution paths for future capability, new vehicle applications, and rapid feasibility assessments
  

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical field
• 10+ years designing, analyzing, qualifying, and launching flight hardware, with progression to lead or principal roles
• Experience serving as the technical authority or lead systems engineer for a complex flight system or subsystem from concept through qualification
• Proven customer-facing technical interface: negotiating and defending requirements, interfaces, and resource allocations (mass, power, envelope)
• Strong working knowledge of thermodynamic cycles and cryogenic or thermal-fluid systems, including building, running, and interpreting cycle performance models (MATLAB or equivalent)
• Experience with defining and managing system-level requirements, ICDs, traceability, and V&V strategies across large, multi-source requirement sets
• Experience with leading technical gate reviews, including entry/exit criteria and action closure
• Working knowledge of P&IDs and fluid system design, with familiarity across avionics, electrical power, and controls
• Familiarity with launch vehicle / space system CONOPS and flight environments
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace, Mechanical, or a related technical field
• 15+ years in systems engineering roles of increasing scope on space flight hardware
• Depth in cryogenic or thermal-fluid systems such as cryogenic fluid transfer, long-duration cryogenic storage, or cryocooler systems (including pulse-tube, Gifford-McMahon, Joules-Thomson, Reverse Brayton, etc.)
• Proven ability to lead a product through the full lifecycle: concept, design, qualification, integration, launch, and operations
• Experience with MBSE tools (Cameo, Rhapsody, MATLAB) and requirements/config management tools (Jama, DOORS NG, Windchill)
• Experience with physics-based / thermal-fluid modeling (Simulink, Thermal Desktop, ANSYS, Fluent, CFX, or equivalent) and scripting (Python or equivalent)
• Experience with motor controllers, high-speed motor drives, or power electronics for flight systems
• Experience with developing product roadmaps, technology maturation plans, and technical strategies for new-technology products
• Familiarity with NASA SE processes and review standards (e.g., NPR 7123.1)
• Startup or small-team experience building processes and products from the ground up
• Experience with applying AI-assisted tools to accelerate design, analysis, or technology maturation

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $169,624.00 - $237,473.25

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.