Principal Architect, Product Integrity

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 220,000; Full time

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! Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space‑based connectivity with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6Tbps anywhere on Earth. This network will service tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations. Blue Origin is building TeraWave, a multi‑thousand‑satellite communications constellation delivering symmetrical data speeds of up to 6Tbps worldwide. The constellation spans low Earth orbit and medium Earth orbit with optical inter‑satellite links, and is designed from the ground up to achieve high reliability through data‑driven engineering rather than front‑loaded predictions.

As a Principal Engineer for Product Integrity, you will be the team's deepest technical contributor on reliability and thermal analysis -- personally working the hardest design and qualification problems across the satellite and its subsystems. You will spend the majority of your time embedded in specific technical challenges for weeks at a time: modeling failure physics, analyzing thermal margins, supporting root‑cause investigations, and helping subsystem teams finalize designs that survive launch and long‑duration orbital environments. When not solving specific problems, you will build the reliability engineering methodology that subsystem teams execute in their own verticals. This means designing accelerated life test programs, defining failure mode assessment frameworks, establishing physics‑of‑failure analysis tools, and shaping how test data feeds back into design decisions. You create the playbook and the tools -- subsystem owners run them. The goal is a reliability culture where teams are equipped and accountable, not dependent on a central authority. This role sits within the Chief Systems Architecture office and works closely with domain architects, subsystem leads, and the integration and test organization.

Responsibilities

Deep Technical Contribution (~50-70%)

• Perform thermal analysis and reliability modeling on the most challenging design problems across the satellite, spending sustained periods embedded in specific subsystem challenges
• Develop and apply physics‑of‑failure models for critical failure modes -- solder fatigue, mechanism wear‑out, radiation degradation, thermo‑mechanical stress -- tied to specific hardware and environments
• Support subsystem teams through qualification and design finalization with hands‑on analysis, not oversight
• Lead root‑cause investigation and failure analysis for test anomalies and, eventually, on‑orbit events
• Assess thermal and reliability margins for designs under launch and orbital environments, identifying where margins are thin and where they are adequate

Reliability Methodology and Mechanisms (~30-40%)

• Direct the accelerated life testing (ALT) program: define what tests are needed, what they must demonstrate, and how results translate into design or process changes
• Design and lead HALT campaigns to identify design margins and unknown weaknesses; collaborate with integration and test leads where HALT findings inform acceptance screening criteria
• Establish the failure mode assessment framework -- how teams identify credible failure modes, classify consequences, rank criticality, and score mitigations before and after
• Create practical tools and methods for subsystem teams to assess specific failure mechanisms (e.g., solder fatigue life estimation, thermal cycling margin evaluation, radiation susceptibility screening)
• Define how reliability data from testing and flight operations feeds back into design decisions -- closing the loop between what we learn and what we change
• Shape the program's approach to reliability growth: conservative initial goals informed by real test and flight data, with structured improvement as the fleet matures

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field; MS or PhD preferred
• 12+ years of experience in reliability engineering, thermal analysis, or physics‑of‑failure modeling for high‑reliability hardware
• Hands‑on expertise in accelerated life testing (ALT), HALT, and environmental stress testing -- designing programs, not just reviewing results
• Strong background in thermal analysis for electronics or spacecraft systems (analytical and/or FEA‑based)
• Experience with failure analysis and root‑cause investigation across thermal, mechanical, electrical, or materials domains
• Demonstrated ability to work as a deep individual contributor on sustained technical problems, not solely in leadership or oversight roles
• Familiarity with space environments: thermal cycling, radiation, vacuum, launch loads
• Strong technical communication skills -- able to convey failure mode implications and test results clearly to both subsystem engineers and program leadership

Desired

• Experience with automatoive, satellite or constellation programs.
• Expertise in solder‑joint reliability, advanced packaging integrity, or thermo‑mechanical analysis of electronic assemblies
• Background in designing reliability test programs that generate quantitative life data (Weibull analysis, acceleration factor modeling)
• Experience with materials characterization or failure mode testing for mechanisms, optics, or RF components
• Track record of building reliability frameworks or test methodologies adopted across multiple teams or product lines

Base Pay Range

Base Pay Range for: WA applicants is $157,059.00 - $219,882.60 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, 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 materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre‑employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long‑term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week).
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company‑paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.
• Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

We’re committed to building the road to space so our children can build the future. We are a mission‑driven company focused on ideas and innovation, and encourage fresh perspectives from bold voices. At Blue, our team is building the future as their unique selves. Thank you for your interest in working at Blue Origin! Blue Origin was founded with a vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue Origin believes it has an important role in building a road to space and lowering the cost of getting there. At Blue Origin, we’re working on this today by developing fully reusable launch vehicles and systems that are safe, reliable and affordable. Every launch vehicle is designed for human spaceflight from the beginning and able to ferry payloads to space.

U.S. Applicant Privacy Notice EU Applicant Privacy Notice