MK2 Crew Lander GN&C Flight Software Engineer - Sr

Blue Origin; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin seeks a senior software engineer to join the GN&C team working on the MK2 Crew Lander. You will drive software architecture and implementation for navigation, vision, and flight software, collaborating with avionics and hardware teams to ensure robust, verifiable, safety-critical systems for lunar missions.

You will mentor peers, lead technical discussions, and contribute to build, test, and verification activities across representative sensors and compute hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience with embedded, real-time, robotics, aerospace, autonomous systems, or other high-reliability software.
• Experience developing production-quality software in C/C++ and Rust; ability to work in mixed-language environments.
• Experience integrating software with hardware, sensors, embedded compute systems, drivers, and communications interfaces.
• Demonstrated ability designing software architectures, APIs, modular interfaces, and testable systems.

Responsibilities

• Partner with GN&C algorithm developers to transition algorithms into flight-appropriate software.
• Design, implement, integrate, and maintain GN&C flight software for the MK2 Crew Lander with emphasis on navigation and vision.
• Collaborate with avionics, embedded software, payload, and flight hardware teams on interfaces and data handling.
• Develop hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop test capabilities for GN&C and VBN validation.
• Establish robust software engineering practices: builds, static analysis, testing, CI, configuration control, and test planning.
• Contribute to safety-critical and human-spaceflight standards, including traceability and verification planning.
• Mentor junior engineers in software design, debugging, and disciplined development practices.

Skills

Embedded systems

Real-time software

Robotics

Aerospace software

High-reliability software

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Tools

C/C++

Rust

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 Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers and related products. To further Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will join our Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) team. You will share in the team's impact on Flight Software as you develop, integrate, test, and mature navigation, guidance, and control software. You will work at the intersection of GN&C algorithms, flight software, avionics hardware, camera and sensor systems, and mission operations to enable robust, safe, and certifiable lunar landing capabilities.

The role will focus on the software infrastructure and flight implementation needed to support solutions such as vision-based navigation (VBN), computer vision, sensor processing, and state estimation, as well as guidance and flight controls capabilities. The successful candidate will help establish reliable, scalable software patterns for deploying advanced GN&C capabilities from laboratory prototypes through integrated vehicle testing and flight readiness. This position is ideal for a senior software engineer who enjoys solving difficult software problems, improving engineering practices, and mentoring engineers in modern safety-critical software development.

The role is expected to independently drive software architecture and implementation decisions for assigned capabilities; identify and retire integration risks early; influence engineering standards and development practices; and deliver high-quality software and test evidence in support of vehicle milestones. This role will not necessarily have direct people management responsibility, but will be expected to mentor teammates, lead technical discussions, and improve the software capabilities of the GN&C organization.

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

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Partner with GN&C algorithm developers to transition algorithms from prototype environments into performant, testable, and flight-appropriate software implementations.
• Design, implement, integrate, and maintain GN&C flight software for the MK2 Crew Lander, with emphasis on navigation and computer vision capabilities, including image pre-processing, plugin or modular algorithm architectures, camera interfaces, telemetry, command interfaces, and integration with core flight software.
• Work closely with avionics, embedded software, payload, and flight hardware teams to define camera, sensor, driver, API, communications, timing, synchronization, and data handling.
• Develop hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, and laboratory test capabilities that support repeatable validation of GN&C and VBN performance across representative sensors, compute hardware, and mission scenarios.
• Establish robust flight software engineering practices, including automated builds, static analysis, unit and integration testing, code coverage, regression testing, fuzz testing, continuous integration pipelines, configuration control, and acceptance-test planning.
• Contribute to the maturation of software toward safety-critical and human-spaceflight standards, including requirements traceability, verification planning, fault handling, deterministic behavior, and clear interface definitions.
• Mentor and technically guide less experienced engineers in software design, debugging, code review, testing strategy, and disciplined development practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including substantial experience with embedded, real-time, robotics, aerospace, autonomous-system, or other high-reliability software.
• Experience developing production-quality software in C/C++ and Rust; ability to work effectively in mixed‑language software environments.
• Experience integrating software with physical hardware, sensors, embedded compute systems, drivers, and communications interfaces.
• Demonstrated experience designing software architectures, APIs, modular interfaces, and testable systems for complex technical products.
• Strong un