Principal Architect, Autonomous Systems (Ground and Space)

Blue Origin; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 219,000 - 306,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin in Denver seeks a senior autonomy architect to own the end-to-end autonomy product architecture across ground and space. Define decomposition, interfaces, and a roadmap to flight, coordinating across ground systems, perception, flight software, hardware, GN&C, and simulation.

Lead embedded AI/ML realization, including model training, data pipelines, and hardware-aware optimization, while ensuring real-time, deterministic behavior within SWaP-C constraints and robust V&V for

Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field, or equivalent hands on experience.
• 10+ years developing software or systems for mission or safety critical applications with architectural ownership.
• 3+ years deploying ML systems on resource constrained/embedded targets.
• Proficiency in Python and C/C++, and experience with ML frameworks and edge optimization toolchains.
• Experience leading architecture across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Ability to brief executives, government customers, and peers with clarity.
• U.S. citizen or eligible for U.S. work authorization.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end autonomy product architecture across ground and space and define system decomposition and interfaces.
• Make and defend hard allocation decisions for on-orbit vs. ground processing.
• Coordinate across ground systems, perception, flight software, hardware, GN&C, simulation, and navigation.
• Own embedded AI/ML realization including training, data pipelines, quantization, and hardware-aware optimization.
• Build the assurance case for autonomy including V&V, uncertainty quantification, and runtime safety.

Skills

Python

C/C++

ML frameworks

Embedded systems

Architecture leadership

Education

B.S. in CS/EE/AE or related

Advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

ONNX Runtime

Quantization/Pruning

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!

The role is part of the In-Space Systems business unit, which is focused on addressing two of the most compelling challenges in spaceflight today: space infrastructure and increasing mobility on-orbit.

Role Summary

You are the technical owner of Blue National Security's autonomy product architecture, spanning both ground and space. You will define how autonomous capability is decomposed across the ground segment and the vehicle, drive that architecture through implementation across every contributing discipline, and carry it to operational deployment.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end autonomy product architecture across ground and space. Define the system decomposition, interfaces, and functional allocation between ground based and onboard autonomy, and own the technical roadmap that takes it to flight.
• Make and defend the hard allocation decisions. Determine what reasoning executes on orbit versus on the ground, and architect for degraded, latent, and communications denied operations.
• Drive architectural coherence across disciplines. Coordinate across ground systems, perception, flight software, electrical hardware, GN&C, simulation, and navigation and trajectory functions, translating operational requirements into a single, consistent, buildable architecture.
• Own the embedded AI/ML realization. Guide model architecture, training and data pipelines, compression and quantization, and hardware aware optimization, so that models meet real time and deterministic behavior requirements within actual SWaP-C constraints.
• Build the assurance case for the full autonomy loop. Establish V&V practices for ML in high consequence systems, including uncertainty quantification, fault detection and isolation, runtime assurance, robustness testing, and simulation to hardware validation.
• Set the technical direction and raise the team with you. You own the autonomy architecture baseline and technical roadmap. You will mentor and unblock engineers across the AI, FSW and Autonomy team, and represent Blue National Security's autonomy and AI/ML capability to government customers and partners.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Electrical or Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent hands on experience.
• 10+ years developing software or systems for mission or safety critical applications, including architectural ownership of a distributed or multi segment system.
• 3+ years developing and deploying ML systems into production, with demonstrated deployment on resource constrained or embedded targets such as edge GPUs, FPGAs, DSPs, or radiation tolerant processors.
• Proficiency in Python and C/C++, and working expertise with modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, or ONNX Runtime) and edge optimization toolchains (quantization, pruning, TensorRT, TFLite, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience leading architecture across multiple engineering disciplines, including flight software, hardware, and vehicle dynamics or controls.
• Demonstrated ability to build technical consensus across disciplines, earning influence through depth and credibility, and to brief executives, government customers, and engineering peers with equal clarity.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or Aerospace Engineering.
• GN&C, navigation, trajectory, or estimation background for flight vehicles, including experience bringing learning-based methods into classical control and estimation architectures.
• Autonomous spacecraft operations experience: on orbit fault detection and isolation, autonomous mission sequencing, RPO, closed loop vehicle control, or autonomous operations in communications denied environments.
• Ground segment or mission operations experience, including tasking, ground autonomy, or ground to space autonomy handoff.
• Space grade or radiation tolerant compute (NVIDIA Orin, Xilinx Versal, rad hard SoCs); real time and safety critical environments (RTOS, bare metal); hardware in the loop and simulation to hardware workflows; or formal V&V methods for ML.
• DoD, USSF, NRO, or IC program experience, and an active U.S. Secret or TS/SCI clearance.

Base Pay Range For

CO applicants is $218,520.00 - $305,926.95

Other Site Ranges May Differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue's Standard Background Check
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous