Senior Power Electronics Engineer – Power Distribution - TeraWave Verified today
Blue Origin is pioneering space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite constellation providing symmetrical data speeds up to 6 Tbps. This multi-orbit network consists of optically interconnected LEO and MEO satellites.
Join the TeraWave Spacecraft Bus team as Senior Power Electronics Engineer focused on Power Distribution. You will be the Responsible Engineer (RE) for the Dual Voltage Distribution Box (DVDB), a flight-critical component at the heart of the spacecraft's Electrical Power Subsystem. The DVDB distributes and protects power across two voltage domains, providing switchable outputs, fault isolation, load management, and health telemetry to every powered subsystem. It is one of the most integration-intensive and reliability-sensitive designs in the EPS.
This is full product ownership. You will drive the DVDB from requirements definition through circuit design, qualification, and production release at constellation scale. TeraWave operates at production rates of thousands of units, meaning your design decisions directly impact manufacturing yield, unit cost, test throughput, and schedule. You will balance space-grade reliability with aggressive cost and manufacturability targets simultaneously.
Responsibilities
- Lead circuit design for the Dual Voltage Distribution Box, including solid-state power controllers (SSPCs), relay-based switching, overcurrent protection, in-rush current limiting, and fault isolation across both voltage domains
- Define load switch sequencing, priority shedding logic, and fault response behavior in coordination with Fault Management and Command & Data Handling teams
- Own the DVDB telemetry architecture including current, voltage, and switch state monitoring; define avionics interfaces for health monitoring and commanding
- Derive and maintain DVDB hardware requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), and design specifications in coordination with systems engineering and adjacent subsystems including thermal, structures, harness, avionics, and all powered loads
- Participate in FMEA/FMECA activities and drive single-point failure elimination throughout the design
- Optimize the DVDB design for high-rate manufacturing, including component commonality, DFM/DFT compliance, and unit cost targets without compromising reliability or performance
- Define and transition Automated Test Equipment (ATE) from development to production, including load switching verification and fault coverage validation for rate manufacturing
- Develop and execute hardware qualification plans per MIL-STD-1540, SMC-S-016, or equivalent standards; lead anomaly investigation and resolution
- Serve as technical authority for the DVDB during vehicle integration and flight acceptance test campaigns across all powered interfaces
- Own and maintain the complete DVDB design package including schematics, PCB layouts, BOMs, drawings, and analysis reports within the PLM configuration management system
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or closely related field, plus 7 or more years of hands-on electronics hardware development experience
- Demonstrated design experience with power distribution architectures including solid-state power controllers (SSPCs), relay switching, overcurrent protection, and fault isolation in a spacecraft or high-reliability application
- Design experience with multi-voltage or dual-bus power systems above 50V, including load management, in-rush current mitigation, and switch sequencing
- Hands-on experience leading or substantially contributing to a hardware qualification campaign per MIL-STD-1540, SMC-S-016, ECSS-E-ST-10-03, or directly comparable standard, including test plan development and anomaly resolution
- Experience with radiation-tolerant or radiation-hardened design practices for space environments, including component selection and total ionizing dose (TID) analysis
- Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum
Preferred Qualifications
- Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
- 9 or more years of power electronics or power systems development experience for space or other harsh environments
- Experience with dual-bus or multi-voltage distribution architectures and cross-strapping strategies for fault tolerance and load flexibility
- Experience with current sensing, telemetry calibration, and health monitoring integration for distributed power systems
- Experience in high-rate production electronics environments, including DFM/DFT optimization, production test development, and yield improvement
- Experience designing and integrating power electronics with mechanical structures for thermal management
- Proficiency with Altium Designer or comparable tool for schematic capture and PCB layout
- Proficiency with LTspice or comparable SPICE-based simulation tool for circuit analysis
- Experience with Windchill PLM or equivalent configuration management system
- Experience with EMI/EMC design and compliance per MIL-STD-461 or equivalent
- Background in safety-critical systems development across aerospace, automotive, medical, or defense applications
- Strong written and verbal technical communication skills with ability to author specifications, analysis reports, and test plans independently
Compensation
Base Pay Range (varies by location):
- California: $156,802.00 - $219,522.45
- Colorado: $144,179.00 - $201,849.90
- Washington: $156,802.00 - $219,522.45
Other site ranges may differ.
Benefits
- 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 all regular employees working at least 20 hours per week
- Paid time off: up to 4 weeks per year based on scheduled hours, plus up to 14 company-paid holidays
- Bonuses and additional benefits may be eligible based on role type and job level
