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Radiation Engineer — Spacecraft & Payloads - TeraWave Verified today

Blue Origin · 4 Locations · Electronics · first seen 2026-09-30
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About TeraWave

Blue Origin is developing TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network delivering symmetrical data speeds up to 6 Tbps. The multi-orbit constellation combines LEO and MEO spacecraft with high-throughput RF payloads, optical inter-satellite links, propulsion power electronics, and high-performance avionics.

The Role

As the dedicated TeraWave Radiation Engineer, you will own the end-to-end radiation hardness assurance (RHA) process. You will define mission-specific environments and margins, flow requirements to systems and parts, evaluate designs and test data, guide mitigation, and create objective evidence to accept radiation risk.

Responsibilities

  • Develop, maintain, and execute the TeraWave RHA Plan for LEO and MEO spacecraft, payloads, avionics, EPS, propulsion electronics, sensors, optical devices, and solar-array technologies
  • Define and control external and internal radiation environments over mission lifetime, including trapped particles, solar particle events, galactic cosmic rays, total ionizing dose (TID), displacement damage dose (DDD/TNID), and single-event effects (SEE)
  • Translate mission orbit, duration, confidence level, shielding, duty cycle, and availability needs into system, subsystem, unit, circuit, and EEE-part radiation requirements
  • Establish and maintain radiation design margin policy with risk/criticality-based margin tiers and documented rationale
  • Perform or direct shielding, dose-depth, sectoring/ray-trace, and part-location analyses
  • Evaluate EEE parts and optoelectronics for destructive and non-destructive SEE, TID, enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity, DDD, and application-specific failure thresholds
  • Calculate mission SEE rates and translate device events into circuit, box, subsystem, and system effects
  • Partner with EEE Parts Engineering to screen BOMs, assess data applicability, and define lot-specific controls
  • Work with electrical, RF, optical, and avionics teams on radiation mitigation including part substitution, shielding, filtering, redundancy, and circuit-level protection
  • Support solar-array degradation predictions and end-of-life power assurance with Solar and EPS teams
  • Maintain radiation risk register, part evidence status, waivers, open tests, and residual risk
  • Monitor emerging radiation-effects data for new technologies, commercial parts, FPGAs, processors, memories, power semiconductors, RFICs, and photonics

Minimum Qualifications

  • B.S. in electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, physics, aerospace engineering, materials science, or related technical discipline
  • 5 or more years of experience in spacecraft radiation effects, RHA, radiation test, electronic-device physics, or closely related field
  • Demonstrated knowledge of TID and SEE mechanisms, radiation environment modeling, shielding, and electronic design mitigation
  • Experience interpreting radiation test data and determining applicability to specific parts, lots, operating conditions, circuits, and missions
  • Ability to derive and communicate radiation requirements, margins, assumptions, uncertainty, and residual risk across multiple engineering disciplines
  • Ability to plan and execute technical work with external radiation test facilities and part suppliers
  • 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 radiation effects, electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, physics, or related field
  • Experience with both LEO and MEO missions and trapped-electron/proton environments
  • Experience testing or analyzing modern commercial and automotive-grade electronics, FPGAs, memories, power devices, RF electronics, and optoelectronics
  • Familiarity with JEDEC, ASTM, ESCC, MIL-STD-883, NASA EEE-INST-002, and radiation test standards
  • Experience connecting device-level radiation response to hardware reliability, availability, system performance, and fleet operations
  • Experience with radiation effects on photovoltaic cells, coverglass selection, optical materials, polymers, adhesives, or coatings

Compensation and Benefits

Base pay range (varies by location):

  • CA: $156,802 to $219,522
  • CO: $144,179 to $201,850
  • WA: $156,802 to $219,522

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%, and Education Support Program. Stock options available for regular employees working 20+ hours/week. Up to 4 weeks paid time off per year based on scheduled hours, plus 14 company-paid holidays.

Work Arrangement

Relocation provided. Travel up to 15% based on business needs.