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MK2 GN&C Flight Controls Engineer III – Lunar Permanence Verified today

Blue Origin · 2 Locations · Space Systems · first seen 2026-09-03
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About the Role

Join the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) team within the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers and related products. As a Flight Controls Engineer III, you will develop control laws and flight software for spacecraft, prototype algorithms, conduct trade studies for control architectures, and perform linear stability analyses using classical and modern approaches.

You will collaborate closely with subsystems and spacecraft systems engineers to define subsystem boundaries, interfaces, and technical performance measures. In this capacity, you are responsible for exemplifying best practices, balanced technical judgment, and superior work ethic to support safe human spaceflight.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and refine control laws and flight software for spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control
  • Prototype GN&C algorithms and conduct trade studies for control architectures
  • Perform linear stability analyses using frequency domain and modern control methods
  • Support development of requirements, interfaces, trades, and analyses for aerospace GN&C applications
  • Analyze controller stability derivatives and stability margins with respect to flexible body dynamics, slosh dynamics, and spacecraft dynamics
  • Collaborate with other subsystems and spacecraft systems engineers to define interfaces and technical performance measures

Minimum Qualifications

  • B.S. degree in Aerospace, Mechatronic, Electrical Engineering, or closely related subject areas
  • Applied industry experience and/or M.S. or Ph.D. focused on development of spacecraft controls
  • Proven experience in GN&C algorithm development for flight and attitude control using classical and modern control methods
  • Knowledge of frequency domain analysis techniques
  • Robust understanding of controller stability derivatives and stability margins with respect to flexible body dynamics, slosh dynamics, and spacecraft dynamics
  • Demonstrated experience with control law design for aerospace vehicles
  • Familiarity with development of requirements, interfaces, trades, and analyses for aerospace GN&C applications
  • Understanding of the relationship between attitude control, vehicle configuration, spacecraft dynamics, actuators, sensors, and automation
  • Experience in Matlab/Simulink and Model Based Development
  • Experience coding in C/C++
  • Robust understanding of software and data configuration management techniques and tools
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to earn trust and maintain positive and professional relationships
  • 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 Aerospace, Mechatronic, Electrical Engineering, or closely related technical subject area
  • Proven experience in development, implementation, and testing of GN&C systems for aerospace vehicles
  • Demonstrated technical experience through the full lifecycle of system development
  • Proficiency in control law schemes such as PID, Phase-Plane, H-Infinity, Lead and Lag Compensators, Dynamic Inversion
  • Experience designing flight control systems with reaction control systems (RCS), cold or hot gas thrusters, thrust vector control (TVC), or electric propulsion
  • Deep knowledge of astrodynamics, orbital mechanics, attitude kinematics and dynamics
  • Experience with spacecraft control system design considerations for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD)
  • On-orbit experience providing GN&C support during mission operations
  • Experience synthesizing and evaluating Monte Carlo simulations, hardware-in-the-loop, and software-in-the-loop testing
  • Experience with real-time flight software and Simulink/Embedded Coder
  • Hands-on experience with GN&C flight hardware
  • Experience performing system safety analyses including Functional Hazard Assessments, Failure Modes and Effects and Criticality Analyses, and Fault Tree Analysis
  • Experience with Matlab/Simulink linear analysis tools
  • Experience with collaboration tools such as Gitlab, Confluence, and JIRA

Compensation

Base pay range varies by location:

  • Colorado applicants: $150,931.00 to $211,303.05
  • Washington applicants: $164,652.00 to $230,512.80
  • Other site ranges may differ

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Basic and supplemental life insurance
  • Paid parental leave
  • Short and long-term disability
  • 401(k) with company match up to 5%
  • Education Support Program
  • Stock options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
  • Paid time off: up to four weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, plus up to 14 company-paid holidays
  • Eligibility for bonuses based on individual contributions and company performance (not guaranteed)

Background and Export Control

Blue's Standard Background Check required for all positions. Additional background checks may apply depending on job requirements.

Applicants 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.