Senior Mission Operations Engineer – TeraWave

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 156,802 - 219,522; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Stock options

Paid time off

Education Support Program

Job summary

Blue Origin in Washington state is seeking a Senior Mission Operations Engineer to lead on-orbit operations development and real-time support. You will mentor teams, develop operations products, and coordinate with engineers across space and ground segments to deliver safe, reliable missions.

The role emphasizes systems thinking, end-to-end operations, and a strong customer focus, with opportunities to shape the mission operations capability from the ground up.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience managing technical teams.
• 12+ years of proven experience in spacecraft operations development and execution, including real-time support for on-orbit operations in a flight director or comparable leadership role.
• Extensive development of spacecraft operations products, including procedures, telemetry displays, scripts, and other technical documents.
• Experienced in configuration and product data management.

Responsibilities

• Develop mission plans, operations concepts, tools, and processes that enable highly effective and labor-efficient real-time spacecraft and ground system operation through automation.
• Lead small teams in the development and implementation of detailed operations procedures, executables, telemetry displays, technical documentation, and other products.
• Ensure deliverables meet applicable quality standards, while promoting maximum reuse and backward compatibility.
• Conduct testing and validation of ops products using a variety of hardware and software simulation environments.
• Support systems engineering and other disciplines in developing a spacecraft concept of operations, ensuring efficiency and operability for the end-user.
• Implement meaningful progress tracking to provide realistic completion forecasts and inform basis-of-estimates provided for new business pursuits.
• Create detailed test procedures to validate end-to-end system capabilities.
• Analyze and assess ground station selection for optimal communications availability.

Skills

Team management

Spacecraft operations

Operations product development

Configuration management

Education

B.S. in Aerospace, Electrical, Computer Science, Systems, or related fields.

Tools

Python

SPELL

STOL

JAS

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! Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide.

Job Overview

As a Senior Mission Operations Engineer, you will ensure readiness to execute on‑orbit TeraWave operations by contributing to ConOps development, preparing operations products, forming and leading on‑console crews, and executing early on‑orbit mission operations. You will lead small teams of mission operations engineers in accomplishing these tasks throughout the program lifecycle, while also collaborating extensively with engineers from across the space and ground segments. As a result of your technical leadership, Blue Origin will field and efficiently operate game‑changing new capabilities in space to serve a variety of customers. The ideal candidate is a systems‑thinker possessing a strong end‑operator and customer focus, along with the persistence and passion to build space operations capabilities from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Develop mission plans, operations concepts, tools, and processes that enable highly effective and labor‑efficient real‑time spacecraft and ground system operation through automation.
• Lead small teams in the development and implementation of detailed operations procedures, executables, telemetry displays, technical documentation, and other products.
• Ensure deliverables meet applicable quality standards, while promoting maximum reuse and backward compatibility.
• Conduct testing and validation of ops products using a variety of hardware and software simulation environments that span the space and ground domains.
• Support systems engineering and other disciplines in developing a spacecraft concept of operations, ensuring efficiency and operability for the end‑user.
• Implement meaningful progress tracking to provide realistic completion forecasts and inform basis‑of‑estimates provided for new business pursuits.
• Create detailed test procedures to validate end‑to‑end system capabilities.
• Analyze and assess ground station selection for optimal communications availability.
• Support communications spectrum licensing efforts through coordination with internal and external regulatory authorities.
• Coordinate staffing for mission operations events and work with our training team to ensure certification of on‑console personnel.
• Support mission readiness activities including mission rehearsals, mission timeline development, and post‑launch test development.
• Provide real‑time leadership during spacecraft launch and early orbit phase, including shift work, from Blue Origin’s mission control facilities in Texas and elsewhere.
• Monitor spacecraft state‑of‑health across all subsystems, perform trending and analyses, and track spacecraft and ground system configurations.
• Support the troubleshooting and resolution of on‑orbit anomalies as part of an anomaly response team.
• Foster continuous improvement by contributing, tracking, and implementing lessons‑learned for the benefit of future missions.
• Provide instruction and mentorship to early career engineers, building depth of expertise and capability within the mission operations engineering team.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace, Electrical, Computer Science, Systems, or related fields.
• 3+ years of experience managing technical teams.
• 12+ years of proven experience in spacecraft operations development and execution, including real‑time support for on‑orbit operations in a flight director or comparable leadership role.
• Extensive development of spacecraft operations products, including procedures, telemetry displays, scripts, and other technical documents.
• Experienced in configuration and product data management.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. in Space Systems, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Aerospace Engineering.
• Direct support for a commercial or government spacecraft operations organization, as well as a deep understanding of their use cases and approach to operations.
• Proficiency with command‑and‑control scripting languages, such as Python, SPELL, STOL, or JAS.
• Experience working with virtualized Ground Software (e.g., Command & Control, Mission Planning, Flight Dynamics, Electronic Procedures, Software Simulators).
• Experience with mission planning and contact planning tools.
• Experience with scrum methodology and agile product development.
• Experience in full development lifecycle of space systems’ ground segments.
• Mission analysis, flight planning and timeline development (tool and analysis).
• Experience designing and evaluating operational readiness tests integrated with hardware‑in‑the‑loop, and software‑in‑the‑loop simulators.
• Experience with operational fault and anomaly management.
• Experience with performing system safety analyses including Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA), Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analyses (FMECA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including ability to make persuasive presentations to external customers at gated milestone reviews.
• Ability to earn trust, build positive professional relationships.

Base Pay Range

WA applicants: $156,802.00 – $219,522.45.

Other Site Ranges May Differ

Pay ranges vary by location.

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.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants 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.

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) of 10,001 lbs. or more and/or transport placardable hazardous materials may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including driver qualification files, medical certification, road test, hours of service, drug and alcohol testing, and cargo inspection requirements.
• 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

• 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 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 are subject to change and cancellation.

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 workforce. We hire and promote 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 and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Blue Origin will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a consistent manner with applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s affirmative action plans, or requiring a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, should contact [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox; do not include personal medical information in your request.