Principal Avionics Hardware Engineer Verified today

Role Overview

This position is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin's spacecraft programs. You will be a key player in the entire lifecycle of vehicle electronic systems as a systems-thinking engineer and hands-on problem-solver. You will design, develop, and test critical avionics hardware from component level to integrated system, including prototyping, building harnesses, and testing in the lab.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and test spacecraft avionics systems
• Lead the design and analysis of vehicle power systems, including power generation, energy storage, regulation, and distribution architectures
• Perform hands-on fabrication, assembly, and testing of engineering-level hardware, including building and modifying wire harnesses, soldering components, and integrating sensor systems
• Design for the space environment, applying principles of radiation hardening (TID, SEE) to ensure system reliability and select components to meet mission radiation requirements
• Define and manage requirements for various sensors (IMUs, star trackers, magnetometers, pressure transducers, temperature sensors) and their electrical interfaces (analog, SPI, I2C, UART, RS-422, CAN, Ethernet)
• Collaborate with mechanical and thermal engineering teams to influence vehicle layout, packaging, connector selection, and overall system design
• Develop schematics, manage PCB layout, and perform simulations (SPICE) for critical circuits
• Create comprehensive test plans, procedures, and reports for hardware verification and validation at board, box, and system levels
• Troubleshoot complex hardware issues across integrated systems and support vehicle-level testing and launch campaigns
• Generate and maintain electrical power budgets encompassing power consumption and generation/storage margin management by mission phase

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline
• 15+ years of experience in avionics and power hardware development for aerospace, defense, automotive, or other high-reliability applications
• Demonstrated experience as a hands-on engineer with direct experience designing, building, and reworking wire harnesses and prototype electronics
• Understanding of common circuit analyses (Worst Case Circuit Analysis, Derating, Power Analysis, Timing, etc.)
• Strong understanding of designing for the space radiation environment and its effects on electronic components
• Experience working with a variety of sensor types and their associated analog and digital interfaces
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium Designer or Cadence

Preferred Qualifications

• Master of Science in a related technical discipline
• Experience with end-to-end development of avionics for a spaceflight mission
• Experience with environmental testing (thermal, vacuum, vibration, shock) per standards like SMC-S-016 or MIL-STD-810
• Proven experience in the design and analysis of power generation, energy storage, power electronics and power distribution systems (photovoltaics, DC/DC converters, battery systems, fault protection, etc.)
• Experience with high-voltage power systems
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes, including requirements management and verification

Compensation and Benefits

Base pay range for Colorado applicants: $173,466.00 - $242,851.35. Other site ranges may differ.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 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 regular employees (20+ hours/week), and up to four weeks paid time off per year plus up to 14 company-paid holidays.

Employment Requirements

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. Blue's Standard Background Check is required for all positions.