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.
The RF payload is what carries that connectivity: phased array antennas that
form and steer beams to customers on the ground.
We are seeking an Electrical Engineer to lead electrical design for that
payload.
This role sits at the boundary between two hard problems. On one side, dense
high-speed digital: modems, beamforming devices, and the multi-gigabit
interconnect between them. On the other, sensitive microwave routing and
radiating elements that cannot tolerate the noise the digital side produces — on
shared board stackups, in a package with almost no room to separate them. You
will own that interface, and you will negotiate it directly with in-house RF,
ASIC, mechanical, and thermal engineers rather than across a supplier boundary.
Two constraints make this different from comparable terrestrial hardware work:
It has to survive space, and it has to keep working there for years. Radiation
tolerance, single-event effects, part selection from a constrained qualified
supply base, vacuum operation, and thermal cycling all shape architecture
decisions from the first schematic. There is no service call after launch, and a
design margin you skipped becomes a constellation-wide problem.
It has to be built at rate. We are producing a constellation, not a handful of
exquisite payloads, so part cost, availability, lead time, and testability at
volume are first-order design criteria alongside performance. We deliberately
reach for terrestrial, COTS, and automotive-industry approaches rather than
traditional aerospace practice where the environment permits it. If you have
designed hardware that met every requirement and still could not be built
affordably in quantity, that experience is directly relevant here.
You will also act as the technical point of contact for RF payload electrical
design — holding the baseline, leading trade studies to documented
recommendations, guiding suppliers, and mentoring engineers as the team grows.
Much of how this program will work is still being written, and you will help
write it.
RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
* Lead multi-layer, high-density interconnect PCB design for RF payload
hardware, maintaining isolation between high-speed digital, IF, and microwave
routing on shared stackups.
* Design power delivery networks supporting high aggregate current and the
dynamic load behavior that beamforming produces, including DC-DC conversion
and power management.
* Own architecture and component selection trades across processing, power, and
front-end hardware, treating radiation tolerance, availability, lead time,
and cost as first-class criteria alongside performance.
* Lead signal integrity, power integrity, crosstalk, and EMI simulation and
analysis at board and system level.
* Design and route high-speed interconnect and reference clock distribution
between modem, processing, and beamforming devices, managing insertion loss,
matching, and phase and amplitude consistency across many parallel chains.
* Apply radiation-tolerant design practice, including part selection and
screening, single-event mitigation, and derating and margin policy
appropriate to the mission environment.
* Collaborate with RF, antenna, and ASIC engineers on the physical interface
between boards and radiating elements, including packaged-antenna
integration, front-end device placement, and feed routing.
* Partner with mechanical and thermal engineering on board-level thermal
design, mounting, and heat extraction; the electrical and thermal designs of
this hardware cannot be developed separately.
* Direct physical bring-up, hardware debug, and functional lab characterization
of payload boards and integrated assemblies.
* Support qualification and environmental test campaigns, and resolve anomalies
through root cause and corrective action.
* Drive design for manufacturability and testability with PCB fabricators,
assembly partners, and component suppliers, including panel utilization,
stackup feasibility, and yield at production volume.
* Provide technical direction to suppliers and vendors to ensure payload
hardware meets program requirements.
* Present technical content and recommendations at program design reviews.
* Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and help build electrical design
capability, standards, and review practice across the team.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
* Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field.
* 8+ years of experience in complex hardware product development, such as
telecom infrastructure, aerospace electronics, or high-performance computing
hardware.
* Proficiency with EDA tools such as Altium Designer or Cadence Allegro, with
hands-on experience in schematic capture and layout of high-speed,
multi-layer, mixed-signal boards.
* Demonstrated experience designing power delivery networks for high-current,
dynamically loaded systems, including DC-DC conversion.
* Strong working understanding of RF fundamentals — impedance matching,
transmission line design, shielding, and insertion loss — sufficient to
co-design effectively with RF and antenna specialists.
* Hands-on experience with spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, and
high-speed oscilloscopes for hardware debug and validation.
* Track record of carrying hardware from concept and schematic through
integration, test, and production.
* Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present
and defend technical positions across disciplines.
* Ability to operate with requirements still maturing, and the judgment to make
design decisions that hold up when they firm.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
* Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field.
* Spaceflight electronics design experience, including radiation-tolerant
design, single-event effect mitigation, EEE part selection and qualification,
derating practice, and design for vacuum and thermal cycling.
* Phased array experience — beamforming device integration, digital or hybrid
beamforming architectures, packaged-antenna integration, tile or panel array
construction, and array calibration.
* mmWave hardware design experience, including Ka-band, Q/V-band, or E-band.
* Direct experience co-designing board-to-radiator interfaces with antenna
specialists, including rigid-flex and board-to-board RF interconnect.
* Experience with large-format or panel-limited PCB design, working within
fabricator panel size and process constraints.
* Board-level thermal design for high power density, including heat spreading,
thermal interface selection, and codesign with mechanical and thermal
engineering.
* Experience designing hardware around high-performance SoCs or FPGAs —
AMD/Xilinx, Microchip, Altera/Intel, or high-speed Arm application processors
— including DDR interfaces and SerDes.
* Familiarity with satellite communication systems or commercial high-capacity
wireless infrastructure.
* Design for high-rate production, from aerospace, automotive, or high-volume
electronics, with a record of reducing cost and improving testability across
generations.
* Experience mentoring engineers and establishing design or analysis practice
on a new program.
Base Pay Range for:
CA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45 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 [https://www.eeoc.gov/poster].
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 EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com [EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com]. Please note this
is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical
information in your request.