Principal Avionics Hardware Engineer

Blue Origin; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 183,000 - 256,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin in the United States is seeking a Principal Avionics Hardware Engineer to design, develop, and test spacecraft avionics from component to system level, in a hands-on lab environment.

You will lead power-system design, perform prototype wiring, and ensure radiation-hardening for space environments, collaborating with cross-functional teams for vehicle integration and test campaigns.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of avionics and power hardware development for high-reliability applications.
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and reworking wire harnesses and prototype electronics.
• Understanding of common circuit analyses (Worst Case, Derating, Power, Timing).
• Experience designing for space radiation environment and its effects on components.
• Experience with sensor types and analog/digital interfaces.
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium or Cadence.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and test spacecraft avionics systems.
• Lead design and analysis of vehicle power systems (generation, storage, regulation, distribution).
• Fabricate, assemble, and test engineering hardware and harnesses for rapid prototyping.
• Apply radiation-hardening principles to ensure reliability.
• Define requirements for sensors and electrical interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, RS-422, Ethernet).
• Collaborate with mechanical/thermal teams to optimize layout and packaging.
• Develop schematics, manage PCB layout, and perform circuit simulations (SPICE).
• Create test plans and reports for hardware verification and validation at board, box, and system levels.
• Troubleshoot hardware issues and support vehicle-level testing and launches.
• Maintain electrical power budgets and margins by mission phase.

Skills

Hands-on engineering

Wire harness design

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Power systems design

Radiation hardening

Sensor interfaces

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Master of Science in a related technical discipline

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence

SPICE

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!

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.

This role is part of Blue National Security (BNS), supporting Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

The Blue National Security (BNS) team is multidisciplinary, covering power systems, simulation and environments, thermal and fluids management, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), autonomy, command and control, data handling and instrumentation, electrical integration and avionics, and propulsion. Working with this team to serve the various projects, studies, and programs in a rapid formulation design environment will be a key responsibility while contributing technically as an individual contributor sharing your expertise. This position will be as an active participant in this environment and requires the appropriate mindset of bias for action while quickly delivering results. The decisions made early on will set Blue Origin up for long-term success. It also requires a comfort with ambiguity and an ability to find a path forward.

As a Principal Avionics Hardware Engineer for our spacecraft programs, you will be a key player in the entire lifecycle of our vehicle's electronic systems. This role is for a systems-thinking engineer who is also a hands-on builder and problem-solver. You will be responsible for designing, developing, and testing critical avionics hardware, from the component level to the integrated system. You will not just be designing on a screen; you will be in the lab prototyping, building harnesses, and testing the hardware you create.

You will collaborate closely with a multi-disciplinary team of mechanical, thermal, software, and systems engineers to define vehicle architecture and ensure the successful integration of avionics into the overall system. If you are passionate about seeing your designs fly and are not afraid to get your hands dirty to make it happen, this is the role for you.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design, develop, and test spacecraft avionics systems
• Lead the design and analysis of vehicle power systems, including power generation, energy storage, regulation, and distribution architectures.
• Perform hands-on fabrication, assembly, and testing of engineering-level hardware, including building and modifying wire harnesses, soldering components, and integrating sensor systems for rapid prototyping and troubleshooting.
• Design for the space environment, applying principles of radiation hardening (TID, SEE) to ensure system reliability. Perform analysis and select components to meet mission radiation requirements.
• Define and manage requirements for various sensors (e.g., IMUs, star trackers, magnetometers, pressure transducers, temperature sensors) and their corresponding electrical interfaces (e.g., analog, SPI, I2C, UART, RS-422,CAN, Ethernet).
• Collaborate with mechanical and thermal engineering teams to influence vehicle layout, packaging, connector selection, and overall system design to meet avionics requirements.
• Develop schematics, manage PCB layout, and perform simulations (SPICE) for critical circuits.
• Create comprehensive test plans, procedures, and reports for hardware verification and validation at the board, box, and system levels.
• Troubleshoot complex hardware issues across integrated systems and support vehicle-level testing and launch campaigns.
• Generate and maintain electrical power budgets encompassing all power consumption and generation/storage margin management by mission phase.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in avionicsand powerhardware development for aerospace, defense,automotive, or other high-reliability applications.
• Demonstrated experience as a hands-on engineer, with direct experience designing, building, and reworking wire harnesses and prototype electronics.
• Understanding of common circuit analyses (Worst Case Circuit Analysis, Derating, Power Analysis, Timing, etc.).
• Strong understanding of designing for the space radiation environment and its effects on electronic components.
• Experience working with a variety of sensor types and their associated analog and digital interfaces.
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium Designer or Cadence.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master of Science in a related technical discipline.
• Experience with end-to-end development of avionics for a spaceflight mission.
• Experience with environmental testing (thermal, vacuum, vibration, shock) per standards like SMC-S-016 or MIL-STD-810.
• Proven experience in the design and analysis ofpower generation, energy storage,power electronics and power distribution systems (photovoltaics, DC/DC converters, battery systems, fault protection,etc.).
• Experience with high-voltage power systems.
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes, including requirements management and verification.

Base Pay Range for: CA applicants is $183,193.00 - $256,469.85 CO applicants is $173,466.00 - $242,851.35 WA applicants is $183,193.00 - $256,469.85 VA applicants is $183,193.00 - $256,469.85