Flight Controls Lead - Hypersonic & Reentry Actuation

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life insurance

Parental leave

401(k) with company match

Education Support Program

Stock Options

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a senior Control Lead in its Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE) group in the Seattle area. You will lead the design, analysis, and verification of flight control systems for next‑generation vehicles, with emphasis on flap actuation and reentry/transonic flight regimes.

You will guide a team of GNC engineers, develop models and tests (including hardware‑in‑the‑loop), and collaborate across disciplines to ensure safe, reliable vehicle performance.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in the design, development, and analysis of flight control systems.
• Demonstrated experience with flap actuation control systems.
• In-depth knowledge of hypersonic and transonic flight dynamics.
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Simulink, and other control system design and analysis tools.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• U.S. citizenship or eligible status per Blue Origin policy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of flight control systems, including design and analysis of control laws for aerodynamic surfaces.
• Oversee the development of models and simulations for flap actuation control systems.
• Conduct analysis and trade studies for vehicle performance in hypersonic reentry and transonic regimes.
• Lead verification and validation of flight control systems through simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and flight testing.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of GNC engineers.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure successful integration of the flight control system with the vehicle.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including design specifications, test plans, and analysis reports.

Skills

Flight control systems design

MATLAB/Simulink

C++ or Python

Leadership

GNC mentorship

Education

Master's degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

PhD in related field

Tools

Hardware-in-the-loop testing

Job description

Blue Origin is seeking a senior Control Lead in its Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE) group in the Seattle area. You will lead the design, analysis, and verification of flight control systems for next‑generation vehicles, with emphasis on flap actuation and reentry/transonic flight regimes.

You will guide a team of GNC engineers, develop models and tests (including hardware‑in‑the‑loop), and collaborate across disciplines to ensure safe, reliable vehicle performance.