Sr. Electrical Engineer, RF Payloads - TeraWave

Blue Origin LLC; United States; On-site; USD 157,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Stock options

Paid time off

Education support

Parental leave

Job summary

Blue Origin LLC seeks an Electrical Engineer to lead electrical design for a satellite payload, interfacing with RF, ASIC, mechanical, and thermal engineers. The role emphasizes radiation tolerance, space-grade reliability, and cost-effective volume production.

You will own the interface between digital, IF, and microwave paths, drive trade studies, mentor engineers, and help write the program's electrical design standards for a high-rate constellation project.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years in complex hardware product development (telecom/aerospace/high-performance hardware).
• Experience with high-speed, multi-layer PCB schematic capture and layout.
• Designs power delivery networks for high-current, dynamically loaded systems.
• RF fundamentals: impedance matching, transmission lines, shielding, insertion loss.
• Hands-on use of spectrum analyzers, VNAs, and high-speed oscilloscopes.
• History of moving hardware from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-layer PCB design for RF payload hardware.
• Design power delivery networks supporting high currents.
• Trade architecture across processing, power, and RF front-ends.
• Lead SI/PI, crosstalk, and EMI analysis at board/system level.
• Coordinate with RF/antenna/ASIC teams for interfaces.
• Implement radiation-tolerant practices and part screening.
• Guide manufacturability and testability for volume production.
• Mentor junior engineers and drive design standards.

Skills

High-speed PCB design

RF fundamentals

Schematic capture

Power delivery networks

Signal integrity/ EMI

Thermal considerations

Communication with RF/ASIC teams

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Master's in Electrical Engineering (preferred)

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro

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.

We are seeking an Electrical Engineer to lead electrical design for that payload. This role sits at the boundary between two hard problems. On one side, dense high-speed digital: modems, beamforming devices, and the multi-gigabit interconnect between them. On the other, sensitive microwave routing and radiating elements that cannot tolerate the noise the digital side produces — on shared board stackups, in a package with almost no room to separate them. You will own that interface, and you will negotiate it directly with in-house RF, ASIC, mechanical, and thermal engineers rather than across a supplier boundary. Two constraints make this different from comparable terrestrial hardware work: It has to survive space, and it has to keep working there for years. Radiation tolerance, single-event effects, part selection from a constrained qualified supply base, vacuum operation, and thermal cycling all shape architecture decisions from the first schematic. There is no service call after launch, and a design margin you skipped becomes a constellation-wide problem. It has to be built at rate. We are producing a constellation, not a handful of exquisite payloads, so part cost, availability, lead time, and testability at volume are first-order design criteria alongside performance. We deliberately reach for terrestrial, COTS, and automotive-industry approaches rather than traditional aerospace practice where the environment permits it. If you have designed hardware that met every requirement and still could not be built affordably in quantity, that experience is directly relevant here. You will also act as the technical point of contact for RF payload electrical design — holding the baseline, leading trade studies to documented recommendations, guiding suppliers, and mentoring engineers as the team grows. Much of how this program will work is still being written, and you will help write it.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-layer, high-density interconnect PCB design for RF payload hardware, maintaining isolation between high-speed digital, IF, and microwave routing on shared stackups.
• Design power delivery networks supporting high aggregate current and the dynamic load behavior that beamforming produces, including DC-DC conversion and power management.
• Own architecture and component selection trades across processing, power, and front‑end hardware, treating radiation tolerance, availability, lead time, and cost as first-class criteria alongside performance.
• Lead signal integrity, power integrity, crosstalk, and EMI simulation and analysis at board and system level.
• Design and route high-speed interconnect and reference clock distribution between modem, processing, and beamforming devices, managing insertion loss, matching, and phase and amplitude consistency across many parallel chains.
• Apply radiation‑tolerant design practice, including part selection and screening, single‑event mitigation, and derating and margin policy appropriate to the mission environment.
• Collaborate with RF, antenna, and ASIC engineers on the physical interface between boards and radiating elements, including packaged‑antenna integration, front‑end device placement, and feed routing.
• Partner with mechanical and thermal engineering on board‑level thermal design, mounting, and heat extraction; the electrical and thermal designs of this hardware cannot be developed separately.
• Direct physical bring‑up, hardware debug, and functional lab characterization of payload boards and integrated assemblies.
• Support qualification and environmental test campaigns, and resolve anomalies through root cause and corrective action.
• Drive design for manufacturability and testability with PCB fabricators, assembly partners, and component suppliers, including panel utilization, stackup feasibility, and yield at production volume.
• Provide technical direction to suppliers and vendors to ensure payload hardware meets program requirements.
• Present technical content and recommendations at program design reviews.
• Mentor junior and mid‑level engineers and help build electrical design capability, standards, and review practice across the team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in complex hardware product development, such as telecom infrastructure, aerospace electronics, or high-performance computing hardware.
• Proficiency with EDA tools such as Altium Designer or Cadence Allegro, with hands‑on experience in schematic capture and layout of high‑speed, multi‑layer, mixed‑signal boards.
• Demonstrated experience designing power delivery networks for high‑current, dynamically loaded systems, including DC‑DC conversion.
• Strong working understanding of RF fundamentals — impedance matching, transmission line design, shielding, and insertion loss — sufficient to co‑design effectively with RF and antenna specialists.
• Hands‑on experience with spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, and high‑speed oscilloscopes for hardware debug and validation.
• Track record of carrying hardware from concept and schematic through integration, test, and production.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present and defend technical positions across disciplines.
• Ability to operate with requirements still maturing, and the judgment to make design decisions that hold up when they firm.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field.
• Spaceflight electronics design experience, including radiation‑tolerant design, single‑event effect mitigation, EEE part selection and qualification, derating practice, and design for vacuum and thermal cycling.
• Phased array experience — beamforming device integration, digital or hybrid beamforming architectures, packaged‑antenna integration, tile or panel array construction, and array calibration.
• mmWave hardware design experience, including Ka‑band, Q/V‑band, or E‑band.
• Direct experience co‑designing board‑to‑radiator interfaces with antenna specialists, including rigid‑flex and board‑to‑board RF interconnect.
• Experience with large‑format or panel‑limited PCB design, working within fabricator panel size and process constraints.
• Board‑level thermal design for high power density, including heat spreading, thermal interface selection, and codesign with mechanical and thermal engineering.
• Experience designing hardware around high‑performance SoCs or FPGAs — AMD/Xilinx, Microchip, Altera/Intel, or high‑speed Arm application processors — including DDR interfaces and SerDes.
• Familiarity with satellite communication systems or commercial high‑capacity wireless infrastructure.
• Design for high‑rate production, from aerospace, automotive, or high‑volume electronics, with a record of reducing cost and improving testability across generations.
• Experience mentoring engineers and establishing design or analysis practice on a new program.

Base Pay Range

CA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45 WA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45 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 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

• 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.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

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

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.

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