Senior Spacecraft Solar Array Engineer- TeraWave

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin seeks a Senior Spacecraft Solar Array Engineer to own the solar array from concept to production, spanning electrical, mechanical, thermal, optical, and manufacturing domains. You will guide requirements, ICDs, and design specs, and lead reviews across disciplines while shaping production-scale flight hardware.

As a senior technical leader, you will manage design trades, test programs, and integration, ensuring cost, yield, and schedule goals are met for thousands of units produced

Qualifications

• Own the full product lifecycle from concept to production release for solar arrays.
• Derive and maintain requirements, ICDs, and design specs with EPS, thermal, structures.
• Lead design reviews and drive test, manufacture, and cost optimization (DFx).

Responsibilities

• Own the full design and development of space-grade photovoltaic assemblies from concept through flight-qualified, production-ready hardware.
• Derive and maintain solar array requirements, ICDs, and design specifications with systems engineering and adjacent subsystems.
• Lead design trade studies for architecture, cell selection, panel construction, and high-voltage bus compatibility.
• Characterize electrical and optical performance across illumination angles, temperatures, and radiation conditions.
• Lead internal design reviews and participate in supplier and customer reviews; champion DFx principles.
• Define and support component- and system-level test programs including qualification and vehicle-level testing.
• Serve as SME for solar array integration into the vehicle; lead troubleshooting during integration and acceptance testing.
• Communicate development status, risks, and challenges clearly to program leadership.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and supply chain for smooth transition to production.

Skills

Solar array design

Requirements derivation

DFx (design for test/manufacture/cost)

Cross-functional collaboration

Systems engineering coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

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.

This role sits within the TeraWave Spacecraft Bus team. We are seeking a Senior Spacecraft Solar Array Engineer to serve as the Responsible Engineer (RE) for the solar array - the primary power generation system for the vehicle. You will own the full product lifecycle from early concept through prototyping, qualification, and production release at constellation scale. The solar array spans electrical, mechanical, thermal, optical, and manufacturing domains, and integrates directly with the spacecraft structure, harness, and Electrical Power Subsystem - making this one of the most cross-functional and technically demanding RE roles on the program.

This is a senior technical leadership role. You will drive requirements, lead design reviews, coordinate across disciplines, and serve as the subject matter expert from the design floor through vehicle integration. TeraWave's production rate of thousands of units means your decisions directly impact cost, schedule, and yield. If you want to own a critical flight system end-to-end and see it fly at scale, this role is for you.

Responsibilities

• Own the full design and development of space-grade photovoltaic assemblies from concept through flight-qualified, production-ready hardware
• Derive and maintain solar array requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), and design specifications in coordination with systems engineering and adjacent subsystems including EPS, thermal, structures, harness, and manufacturing
• Lead design trade studies for solar array architecture, cell selection, panel construction, and high-voltage bus compatibility; document results and drive decisions
• Characterize solar array electrical and optical performance across illumination angles, temperature ranges, and space environment conditions including radiation, UV, and thermal cycling
• Lead internal design reviews and participate in supplier and customer reviews; champion design for test, manufacture, and cost (DFx) principles throughout development
• Define and support component-level and system-level test programs including characterization, risk reduction, qualification, and integrated vehicle-level testing
• Serve as the subject matter expert for solar array integration into the vehicle; lead troubleshooting and anomaly resolution during integration and acceptance testing
• Communicate development status, risks, and challenges clearly and regularly to program leadership and stakeholders
• Collaborate with manufacturing operations and supply chain to ensure smooth transition to production and support ongoing