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Senior Mission Systems Engineer - Blue Ring Verified today

Blue Origin · 4 Locations · Space Systems · first seen 2026-09-10
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About the Role

You will join the In-Space Systems business unit as a Senior Mission Systems Engineer on the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN) program. MTN is a relay communications infrastructure designed to provide reliable, high-availability data services between Mars-based users and Earth in support of NASA's civil exploration and science objectives.

As part of a small team of Mission Systems Engineers, you will work closely with spacecraft, mission operations, and ground system teams to define and mature the mission system. The mission system encompasses the integrated ground system and mission operations capability that enables MTN's relay services. You will lead requirements, verification and validation, and interface definition efforts to ensure the ground and operations architecture meets mission objectives across significant light-time delays and long-duration operations.

Responsibilities

  • Identify, derive, develop, and maintain mission systems requirements, including traceability and verification and validation approach
  • Define and maintain ground element and external interface requirements and interface control documents (ICDs), including user and payload-facing interfaces
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including flight vehicle systems, ground software, mission operations, and payload and user customers
  • Define ground system and mission operations architectures that enable highly effective and labor-efficient real-time and store-and-forward spacecraft and ground system operation
  • Plan and perform mission system product update cycles, integration and test activities, and validation exercises leading to operations training events and mission readiness
  • Conduct testing of ground system functionality and measure performance against requirements
  • Perform flight software to ground system integration and test
  • Perform analysis to ensure operability across the space-ground system and support efforts to improve operability where justified
  • Ensure mission system requirements and interfaces align with applicable NASA and interoperability standards such as CCSDS for civil deep space missions

Minimum Qualifications

  • B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical field
  • 8 or more years of experience in one or more of the following areas:
    • Ground systems architecture in the context of spaceflight operations
    • Spacecraft operations: command and control, mission planning, flight dynamics
    • Requirements definition, verification, and validation of complex systems
    • Implementing CCSDS communications protocols and standards
  • Experience across a complex system lifecycle: requirement definition, design solution definition, implementation, integration, verification, validation, qualification, and operations
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with requirements management and traceability, preferably using DOORS Next Generation (DNG)
  • Experience developing and maintaining interface control documents (ICDs) for complex systems
  • Experience with NASA civil space programs and/or integrating U.S. Government agency missions such as NASA and JPL
  • Experience conducting end-to-end testing of large, complex systems
  • Familiarity with DTN, delay/disruption-tolerant architectures, or deep space operations concepts
  • Experience designing or operating spacecraft instruments and payloads
  • Experience developing, deploying, and maintaining software in a cloud computing environment such as AWS or Azure
  • Proficiency in programming languages such as Python
  • Experience with collaboration tools such as Confluence and JIRA
  • Familiarity with version control, preferably Git
  • Experience with configuration and product data management tools

Compensation

Base pay range varies by location:

  • CA, WA, VA applicants: $156,802.00 to $219,522.45
  • CO applicants: $144,179.00 to $201,849.90
  • Other site ranges may differ

Employment Details

U.S. citizenship or national status, U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum is required. Blue's Standard Background Check is required for all positions.

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, and stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week. Paid time off up to four weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.