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Systems Engineer III (RF / Microwave Systems) Verified today

Blue Origin · 5 Locations · RF & Comms · first seen 2026-09-03
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Systems Engineer III (RF / Microwave Systems)

Blue National Security | Special Programs | Mission Engineering & Architecture

This role is part of the Blue National Security business unit, focused on delivering advanced space-based capabilities for national security missions. Within Special Programs, you will operate at the forefront of mission engineering and architecture, developing next-generation space systems that address demanding challenges in the defense domain.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain system-level requirements for advanced space-based sensing systems, ensuring traceability from mission objectives through subsystem specifications
  • Conduct system architecture trade studies and analyses to evaluate design alternatives, performance margins, and technical feasibility
  • Author and review key systems engineering artifacts including Concepts of Operations (CONOPs), System Requirements Documents (SRDs), Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and Systems Engineering Management Plans (SEMPs)
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including payload, spacecraft, ground systems, and mission operations to ensure end-to-end system coherence
  • Support design reviews and provide technical inputs to R&D program milestones
  • Perform link budget analyses and RF system performance assessments relevant to space-based sensing architectures
  • Study the design, analyze, and optimize UHF-band antenna systems, including aperture sizing, beam pattern characterization, polarization, and gain/noise performance in the space environment
  • Evaluate antenna integration trades including deployable structures, phased array configurations, and feed network design at UHF frequencies
  • Engage with government customers and mission partners to understand operational needs and translate them into actionable system requirements
  • Support risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical performance measurement (TPM) tracking throughout the program lifecycle

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline
  • 5+ years of experience in systems engineering within the aerospace, defense, or national security domain
  • Demonstrated experience with UHF-band antenna design, including analysis of antenna performance parameters (gain, beamwidth, polarization, impedance matching) in space or airborne environments
  • Experience with phased array antenna systems, including electronically steered arrays (ESAs) at UHF frequencies
  • Proficiency in RF system performance analysis, including link budgets and system noise figure calculations
  • Experience developing and managing system-level requirements using requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, or equivalent)
  • Familiarity with systems engineering processes and standards (e.g., NASA/DoD SE frameworks, MIL-STD-499, or equivalent)
  • Experience with space-based RF sensing or surveillance system architectures
  • Familiarity with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) or Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) signal processing concepts and their implications on system design
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear technical documentation and present to different audiences
  • Active TS/SCI security clearance
  • 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

  • Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
  • Experience with radar system performance modeling tools (e.g., MATLAB, STK, or custom simulation environments)
  • Familiarity with space environment effects on RF systems, including ionospheric propagation, Faraday rotation, and thermal cycling impacts on antenna structures
  • Prior experience working within a Special Programs or classified program environment
  • Experience interfacing with DoD or Intelligence Community (IC) customers

Compensation and Work Details

Base Pay Range (varies by location):

  • CA, WA, VA: $130,706 - $182,987.70
  • CO: $119,814 - $167,738.55

This is an individual contributor role. You may work from any of Blue Origin's primary U.S. locations including Kent WA, Denver CO, Huntsville AL, Reston VA, or Los Angeles CA. Travel expectation is up to 10%. Relocation assistance is available.

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. Paid Time Off up to four weeks per year and up to 14 company-paid holidays.