Lead Space Optical Communications Engineer for Sunrise

Frontdoor Defense; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 182,000 - 254,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Education support program

Stock options

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Optical Communications Design Engineer to lead the evolution of space-based laser communication systems for Sunrise. You will own the existing optical design, guiding hardware and software teams to meet demanding performance targets and mission requirements.

The role requires a strong background in PAT, optical link budgets, and end-to-end system integration within a aerospace context, with a focus on cost reduction and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in the design and development of optical communication systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading or directing small technical teams comprising both hardware and software specialists.
• Proven experience with optical communication systems for satellite constellations or aerospace applications.
• Strong understanding of pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) systems and algorithm development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, analysis, and optimization of free-space optical communication systems, including robust strategies for pointing, acquisition, tracking (PAT), and intelligent failover/redundancy.
• Direct a cross-functional team of hardware and software engineers to develop, implement, and validate optical communication algorithms and hardware.
• Design and validate the end-to-end optical communication pipeline, from the data interface through signal processing, modulation, and the optical front-end.
• Oversee the selection, integration, and testing of optical components and subsystems, including lasers, modulators, detectors, and pointing mechanisms.
• Perform detailed link budget analysis, modeling, and simulation to predict and validate system performance under various operational conditions, including platform jitter and pointing errors.
• Evolve and update existing optical communication hardware and software designs to meet new mission requirements, improve performance, and reduce cost.
• Develop test infrastructure and execute test plans for component and system-level validation, including hands-on lab work and over-the-air testing.
• Collaborate with systems, avionics, and software teams to ensure seamless integration of the optical communications payload with the spacecraft bus.
• Create and maintain comprehensive design documentation, interface definitions, and performance analyses.

Skills

PAT systems

Link budget analysis

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline

Tools

Zemax

Code V

MATLAB/Simulink

FPGA/Embedded DSP

Job description

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Optical Communications Design Engineer to lead the evolution of space-based laser communication systems for Sunrise. You will own the existing optical design, guiding hardware and software teams to meet demanding performance targets and mission requirements.

The role requires a strong background in PAT, optical link budgets, and end-to-end system integration within a aerospace context, with a focus on cost reduction and manufacturability.