Avionics Engineer II - Inverter Development

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 107,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Blue Origin in Seattle is seeking an electrical engineer to design and qualify three-phase motor drive inverters for a next-generation launch vehicle. You will own inverter development from concept through qualification, collaborating with controls, software, mechanical, and actuator teams to meet demanding spaceflight requirements.

The role requires hands-on design experience in power electronics, motor control fundamentals, and PCB/layout expertise, with a strong focus on quality and safety

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of hands-on electrical engineering design in power electronics.
• Experience designing and testing custom power electronics, MOSFETs, gate drive.
• Knowledge of PMSM/BLDC motor control: FOC, PWM, current/velocity loops.
• Analog, digital, or mixed-signal circuit design experience.
• Familiar with isolated gate drivers, MOSFETs/IGBTs, sensors, ADCs/DACs, op-amps, power supplies, processors.
• Schematic capture and PCB layout experience.
• Lab testing with oscilloscopes and high-bandwidth probes.
• Hands-on and team-oriented across development and production.
• US citizenship or eligible to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Design three-phase motor drive inverters across lifecycle from concept to production release.
• Support motor control implementation and testing with controls/software teams.
• Contribute to architecture studies, performance characterization, and fault tolerance trades.
• Perform design risk analyses, DFx, and root-cause analysis of test anomalies.
• Plan and execute lab testing including EMI, environmental qualification.
• Coordinate with systems engineering and actuator teams on requirements and test.
• Communicate development status and risks to management.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Power analyzers

PCB layout software

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We're working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

As part of a small, hardworking, and accomplished team of experts, you will design and qualify three-phase motor drive inverters that power New Glenn's electromechanical systems. You will own inverter development from concept through qualification, working closely with controls, software, mechanical, and actuator teams to deliver drives that meet demanding requirements in a launch vehicle environment.

We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise and dedication to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

• Design three-phase motor drive inverters across the product life cycle: concept and requirements definition, design, analysis, prototyping, test and verification up to final release to production.


• Support implementation and testing of motor control: field-oriented control, current and velocity loops, and position feedback, in partnership with controls and software engineers.


• Contribute to architecture trade studies, analyses, performance characterization, and fault tolerance trades.


• Support design risk analyses, worst-case circuit analysis and parts derating, failure modes effects and criticality analyses (FMECA), design for test/manufacture/cost (DFx), and root-cause analysis of test anomalies.


• Plan and execute hands-on lab testing, including EMI testing, and environmental qualification (random vibration, shock, thermal cycling, thermal vacuum).


• Coordinate with systems engineering and electromechanical actuator teams on requirements, integration, and test.


• Effectively communicate development status, risks, and challenges to management.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, or related field.


• 3+ years of hands-on electrical engineering design experience in power electronics, or a Master of Science plus 1+ year design experience.


• Demonstrated experience designing and testing custom power electronics, including specific knowledge in switching device selection, isolated gate drive, dead-time setting, DC link capacitor sizing, phase current sensing, and protection schemes.


• Working knowledge of PMSM/BLDC motor control fundamentals: field-oriented control, PWM modulation strategies, and closed current and velocity loops.


• Experience with analog, digital, or mixed-signal circuit design, including analysis, simulation, test, troubleshooting, and part selection.


• Familiar with many of the following parts and their usage: isolated gate drivers, Si and SiC MOSFETs, IGBTs, current sensors (shunt, hall, fluxgate), ADCs, DACs, op-amps, power supplies (linear, LDO, DC/DC), and processors (MCU, DSP, FPGA).


• Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout for custom PCBA designs.


• Hands-on proficiency with lab test equipment: oscilloscopes, high-bandwidth current probes, power analyzers, and motor or inertial load test setups.


• Desire to work hands-on, both independently and as part of a team, throughout the development and production phases of the electronic assembly product lifecycle.


• 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 of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, or related field.


• Motor drive design experience in aerospace, space, defense, automotive traction, or industrial servo applications.


• Wide-bandgap power device design experience (SiC MOSFET or GaN HEMT), including gate loop and layout optimization and device paralleling.


• High-voltage power electronic design experience, including corona and partial discharge mitigation for high-altitude and vacuum operation, insulation coordination, and potting/encapsulation.


• Experience characterizing switching losses via double-pulse testing.


• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, SPICE, and PLECS or PSIM or similar modeling/analysis tools.


• EMI/EMC design and test experience to MIL-STD-461, DO-160, or similar.


• Experience with electromechanical actuator, thrust vector control, valve actuation, or turbopump drive systems.


• Experience developing products from early trade studies through final design, manufacturing, and testing.

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $107,136.00 - $149,990.40

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don't meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S.as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue's Standard Background Check


• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation


• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.


• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.


• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)


• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.


• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force.

Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities.

We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork.

We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law.

Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws.

For more information on "Know Your Rights," please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin's Affiantive Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.