Head of Avionics & Control Products - Blue Engines

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 281,000 - 401,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin's Engines business unit seeks a Head of Avionics & Control Products to own the technical vision, architecture, and leadership for engine avionics across BE-3U, BE-4, BE-7, and future programs.

Reporting to the SVP of Engines, you will lead a multidisciplinary team, balance performance, reliability, and cost, and partner with operations, manufacturing, and suppliers to scale avionics designs for high-volume production while advancing a common controller platform strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of leadership experience in avionics or high‑reliability electronics.
• Deep technical expertise in engine avionics, embedded controls, sensors, and real‑time architectures.
• Proven ability to lead across concurrent programs and influence executive stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the technical baseline and long-term roadmap for engine avionics and control products.
• Provide design and architecture reviews across multiple concurrent engine programs.
• Mentor and develop an organization of engineers and technical leaders.
• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing to enable scalable production.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Executive presence

Cross-functional coordination

Budget management

Supplier ecosystem knowledge

Decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer/Systems Engineering

Master's or Ph.D. in Electrical/Computer/Systems Engineering

Tools

Embedded control systems

Real-time control architectures

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 is part of the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight.

Head of Avionics & Control Products (ACP)

Blue Origin's engines power every mission we fly, from BE-3U and BE-4 to BE-7 and the advanced propulsion systems that will define our next generation of vehicles. As Head of Avionics & Control Products, you will own the technical vision, architecture, and organizational leadership for the avionics and control systems that make every one of those engines fly safely and reliably. Reporting to the SVP of Engines, you will lead a multidisciplinary organization spanning engine controllers, embedded software, harnessing, instrumentation, and test systems, setting the technical bar for how engine avionics are designed, built, and scaled across Blue Origin's full engine portfolio.

This is a mission-critical leadership role at the intersection of deep technical authority and organizational stewardship. You will be the executive voice for engine avionics and controls, driving the technical baseline and future roadmap across concurrent programs, while building and mentoring the engineering talent that will deliver Blue Origin's most demanding propulsion challenges, from launch and production ramp to the emergence of common controller platforms and the electronics needs of advanced engine programs. Your leadership will directly enable the engine business's ability to meet aggressive cadence, reliability, and cost targets, and will shape how Blue Origin thinks about engine avionics for a generation.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Own the Technical Vision & Strategy for Engine Avionics

• Own and control the technical baseline for all engine avionics and control subsystems: engine controllers, embedded control software, harnessing, instrumentation/sensors, hydraulic and ignition avionics, and associated test equipment
• Architect the long-term technical roadmap for engine avionics and control products, balancing performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability across BE-3U, BE-4, BE-7, and future propulsion programs
• Drive the technical direction of cross-program initiatives, ensuring the architecture serves multiple engine programs without compromising reliability or schedule
• Serve as the technical authority who proactively steers toward the right engineering solution, anticipating downstream trade-offs in vibration, thermal, interface complexity, and manufacturability rather than simply reacting to constraints imposed by vehicle-side integration

Lead Full Lifecycle Execution Across Concurrent Programs

• Oversee the complete lifecycle of engine avionics and control products, from requirements definition and architecture through design, integration, verification, qualification, production, and flight/test support
• Provide design and architecture review authority across multiple concurrent engine programs, ensuring engineering rigor, safety, and design-for-reliability/manufacturability principles are consistently applied
• Manage technical risk across the full engine avionics portfolio, identifying and mitigating cross-program dependencies and single points of failure
• Support hot-fire test campaigns, qualification testing, and flight operations as needed, providing senior technical judgment during anomaly resolution

Drive Cross-Functional Integration

• Serve as the primary technical interface between engine avionics/controls and vehicle-side stakeholders (New Glenn, Lunar, and future vehicle programs), translating vehicle-level requirements into engine-side technical solutions without simply absorbing constraints at face value
• Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Mission Assurance, and Manufacturing to ensure engine avionics designs are producible at scale and supportable through their operational life
• Own and evolve the electronics supplier base strategy, knowing where teams typically encounter friction, how to intelligently scope requirements, and how to move fast without sacrificing reliability
• Represent engine avionics and controls in executive-level technical reviews, program milestones, and cross-organizational planning forums

Build and Lead a High-Performing Organization

• Build, mentor, and technically develop an organization of engineers and technical leaders, leading through managers and directors, not just through process
• Provide technical mentorship and coaching that elevates the depth and judgment of the broader team, particularly in bridging bold electronics philosophy (e.g., consumer-electronics-influenced, high-volume, configurable design) with rigorous execution reality
• Foster a culture of ownership, engineering excellence, and psychological safety that attracts and retains top avionics talent
• Navigate organizational change with maturity, stabilizing and growing a team while maintaining momentum on mission-critical technical initiatives
• Maintain budgetary awareness across programs, informing resource allocation and prioritization decisions in partnership with program and business leadership

Deliver Results

• Balance innovation and reliability with mature technical judgment, driving toward solutions that are precise, scalable, and repeatable across a high-volume production environment
• Execute strategic and tactical initiatives that measurably improve reliability, cost, schedule, and technical performance across the engine avionics portfolio
• Champion process excellence and continuous improvement in design, verification, and production of engine avionics and control products

WHAT YOU BRING

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in avionics, embedded control systems, or high-reliability electronics (aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, or medical devices), including:
• Senior leadership roles with budget and resource management responsibility for technical organizations
• Managing multidisciplinary technical teams at scale, including leadership through subordinate managers
• Full product lifecycle experience from requirements through design, integration, test, and production
• Deep technical expertise in propulsion or flight avionics (or similarly complex): engine/embedded controllers, sensor and instrumentation systems, harnessing, and real-time control architectures
• Experience scaling avionics or embedded electronics systems from development to high-volume production
• Demonstrated ability to make high-stakes technical and business decisions, balancing cost, schedule, performance, and risk across concurrent programs
• Proven track record leading complex, multi-year technical programs with significant business impact, including experience scaling engineering solutions across multiple concurrent programs
• Strong executive presence with excellent written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to influence and align stakeholders at all organizational levels
• Strategic thinker with a bias for action and a track record of operational execution excellence
• Experience shaping technical strategy around complex supplier ecosystems, procurement strategy, and external dependencies

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with avionics for rockets, satellites, or space station systems
• Direct experience with high power electronics
• Executive leadership experience in technology-driven organizations
• Experience with safety-critical systems development and aerospace quality standards
• Knowledge of program management methodologies and risk management frameworks
• Experience with manufacturing operations for complex electronics assemblies
• Existing relationships with suppliers and industry partners in aerospace or adjacent high-reliability markets
• Experience spanning multiple engine or propulsion programs, including large-scale embedded avionics programs
• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Base Salary Range for WA and CA Applicants:

$281,250 - $401,250

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