Guidance and Control Engineer Sr

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin in Seattle seeks a senior aerospace engineer to own guidance and control algorithms for New Glenn flight control. You will design, implement, and validate control laws, and build Simulink models to support auto-code generation and hardware-in-the-loop tests.

Ideal candidates have 7+ years in aerospace G&C or simulation, strong MATLAB/Simulink proficiency, experience with C/C++ flight software, and excellent communication skills to collaborate across teams.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in aerospace guidance and control or simulation.
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for algorithm design and analysis.
• Experience designing, testing, and flying aerospace guidance and control systems.
• Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop guidance and control algorithms for flight control.
• Sequence mission activities and vehicle system commands.
• Develop GN&C requirements with downflows to subsystems and software levels, including verification methods.
• Build guidance and control algorithms in Simulink to support auto-code generation to target.
• Implement hand-coded flight software in C/C++ where appropriate.
• Conduct stability and performance assessments including linear and nonlinear models.
• Perform Monte Carlo simulation campaigns to characterize algorithm performance and robustness.
• Lead root-cause investigations and peer reviews of GN&C products.
• Coordinate cross-team vehicle-level analyses and trade studies.

Skills

MATLAB/Simulink

C/C++

Aerospace guidance & control

Technical writing

Verbal communication

Education

B.S. in aerospace or mechanical engineering

M.S. or Ph.D. in aerospace/related field

Tools

MATLAB

Simulink

Job description

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.

New Glenn is a reusable heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle flying government and commercial customers to orbit. The Flight Autonomy team owns the guidance, control, and sequencing algorithms across all flight phases - a responsibility that evolves as the vehicle’s performance and flight cadence increase.

As part of a small, accomplished team of engineers, this role carries full-lifecycle ownership of guidance, control, and sequencing algorithms from requirements definition through flight. The position spans algorithm design, flight software implementation, performance and robustness analysis, verification, and hardware-in-the-loop integration.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop guidance and control algorithms for New Glenn flight control
• Sequence mission activities and vehicle system commands
• Develop GN&C requirements with flow downs to subsystem and software levels, including companion verification methods
• Build guidance and control algorithms in Simulink to support auto-code generation to target
• Implement hand-coded flight software in C/C++ where appropriate
• Conduct stability and performance assessments including development of linear and nonlinear models
• Perform Monte Carlo simulation campaigns to characterize algorithm performance and robustness across dispersed environments
• Author and execute unit tests, ensure code coverage standards, and support formal verification activities
• Support hardware-in-the-loop integration and test campaigns
• Validate plant models and algorithm performance using test and flight data
• Coordinate cross-team vehicle-level analyses and trade studies
• Lead root cause investigations and peer reviews of GN&C products

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 7+ years of experience in aerospace guidance and control or simulation
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for algorithm design and analysis
• Experience designing, testing, and flying aerospace guidance and control systems
• Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related discipline
• Demonstrated knowledge in both classical and modern control design techniques
• Experience with C/C