Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) Design Engineer – Lunar Permanence Verified today

About this role

You will join the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers and related products. As a RPOD Design Engineer, you will define operations concepts, identify functional and performance requirements across flight elements, support integrated Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) analysis, and plan the verification and validation campaign for safe and reliable RPOD operations on multiple lunar spacecraft.

You will deliver high-quality engineering support by developing hardware and software solutions to complex RPOD navigation and guidance challenges. Your work spans the entire lifecycle, including flight operations. You must collaborate across disciplines to align solutions with manufacturing requirements and environmental constraints.

What you will do

• Perform analyses to determine trajectories, safety gates and corridors, and RPOD operation requirements
• Coordinate and support development of RPOD concepts of operations for multiple lunar missions and vehicles
• Decompose RPOD functional and performance requirements between GN&C, mechanical systems, communication systems, docking targets, and mission systems
• Support development of performance requirements for relative navigation sensor hardware and software
• Support mathematical formulation of navigation estimation methods and filtering techniques
• Support mathematical formulation of maneuver guidance techniques
• Define and maintain data interfaces, optical interfaces, and mechanical interfaces during RPOD
• Define and maintain element-level states and modes in nominal and off-nominal conditions
• Determine and lead required RPOD verification and validation activities, including flight demonstrations
• Create fault detection hardware and software capabilities to satisfy mission requirements
• Develop analysis tools, models, and methods to verify implemented hardware and software builds
• Support integration and testing of navigation and computer vision software components
• Analyze ground and flight test data and investigate root causes
• Develop automation and tooling to improve team productivity and drive efficiency

What you need

• Minimum B.S. degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, physics or related technical field
• Proven technical depth in guidance, navigation, control, simulation, or flight software
• Strong fundamental knowledge in astrodynamics and relative motion of space objects
• 7 or more years of demonstrated experience designing and implementing RPOD systems
• Experience planning and executing RPOD integrated tests in high-fidelity environments
• Experience developing RPOD concept of operations, requirements definition and analysis
• Experience in analysis and design of RPOD trajectories and maneuver sequences
• Experience with Kalman Filtering and Computer Vision methods and applications
• Experience with linear covariance methodology and statistical analysis
• Experience with mathematical modeling, simulation, and control algorithms
• Demonstrated experience with real-time embedded software development on spacecraft or launch vehicle flight systems in C++ or Rust
• Highly organized team player with excellent technical written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of safety

Preferred qualifications

• M.S. or PhD in relevant subject fields
• 10 or more years relevant experience with spacecraft RPOD full lifecycle activities from requirements development through operations
• Industry technical experience with relative navigation systems in aerospace vehicles
• Experience with Terrain Relative Optical Navigation or Vision Based Navigation algorithms and software
• Experience with optical sensors in space applications
• Experience in integration of avionics hardware and software
• Experience in software development following NASA NPR 7150.2D or FAA DO-178C standards
• Experience with NASA software, simulation tools, and environments (Trick/JEOD/cFS)
• Experience with validation and verification approaches such as software unit testing, system simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing or coordinated subsystem testing
• Experience with full-lifecycle software development from requirements definition through deployment
• Experience in flow down of system requirements to the software component level

Compensation and benefits

Base pay range: Colorado applicants $150,931 to $211,303; Washington applicants $164,652 to $230,513. 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%, and Education Support Program. Stock options for all regular employees (20+ hours/week). Up to four weeks paid time off per year and up to 14 company-paid holidays. Eligibility for performance bonuses and additional benefits dependent on role type and job level.

Employment requirements

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum. Background check required for all positions. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.