Sr. Manufacturing RF DFX Engineer

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Up to 50% travel

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Manufacturing RF DFX Engineer to own end-to-end RF assembly design for TeraWave modules, bridging RF/microwave design, antenna integration, and production readiness.

You will drive DFX across design for manufacturability, test, assembly, reliability, and serviceability in a high-volume, orbital-scale environment, with up to 50% travel and relocation assistance for qualified candidates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related RF field.
• 10+ years in RF/microwave design, assembly, or systems integration in product development and volume production.
• Experience with impedance-controlled routing, high-frequency components, and tight tolerances; proficiency in RF design tools (Altium, Cadence, ADS, HFSS).
• Hands-on RF assembly processes including connectorization, shielding, calibration, RF test, line bring-up.
• DFX principles (DFM/DFT/DFA/DFR) applied to bring RF assemblies from design into volume production.
• Strong documentation and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead RF/microwave assembly design for satellite modules and subsystems: front-ends, transceivers, filters, amplifiers, feeds, waveguides, and mechanical integration.
• Own RF assembly process development to ensure robust, repeatable assembly.
• Manage RF BOM procurement, vendor coordination, RF performance and tolerance analysis, and assembly oversight.
• Drive first-article inspection, RF performance validation, process validation, and manufacturing readiness reviews for ramp.

Skills

RF design

RF assembly

DFX concepts

Documentation & comms

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Altium

Cadence

ADS

HFSS

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!

This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities.

Blue Origin's Emerging Systems business unit is building TeraWave, a satellite communications constellation powered by the most advanced optical communications architecture ever attempted: thousands of optically interconnected satellites delivering symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth, providing enterprise and hyperscale customers with resilient, scalable connectivity for critical operations where terrestrial infrastructure cannot reach.

As a Senior Manufacturing RF DFX Engineer, you will own the end-to-end RF assembly design integration of TeraWave modules — bridging RF/microwave circuit design, antenna and feed integration, and volume production readiness. As a foundational element of TeraWave operations, hardware must be architected not only for performance but for manufacturability, testability, reliability, and serviceability at constellation scale. This is a hands‑on role for an engineer who has designed, integrated, and shipped complex RF assemblies in fast-moving, high-volume manufacturing environments and wants to apply that experience to hardware operating at orbital scale.

Special Mentions

• Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.
• Travel: Up to 50%.

Responsibilities

RF Assembly Design, Integration & Manufacturing

• Lead RF/microwave assembly design for satellite communication modules and subsystems: RF front-ends, transceivers, filters, amplifiers, antenna feeds, waveguides, and mechanical integration of RF hardware.
• Own RF assembly process development — including impedance‑controlled routing, shielding, connectorization, calibration procedures, and integration workflows — to ensure robust, repeatable assembly.
• Manage RF BOM procurement, vendor coordination, RF performance and tolerance analysis, and assembly oversight.
• Drive first‑article inspection, RF performance validation, process validation, and manufacturing readiness reviews to support production ramp.

Design for Excellence (DFX)

• Drive Design for Excellence (DFX) principles — DFM, DFT, DFA, DFR, and DFS — across the full RF assembly lifecycle to ensure hardware scales from prototype through volume production for TeraWave operations.
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Optimize RF board stackups, transmission line geometry, material selection, shielding, and assembly processes to maximize yield and minimize cost at constellation‑scale production volumes.
• Design for Test (DFT): Architect RF test structures, calibration references, test points, and automated RF test coverage to enable efficient factory acceptance and in‑field diagnostics.
• Design for Assembly (DFA): Simplify connector selection, shielding integration, component placement, and mechanical integration to reduce assembly time, rework, and error rates on the line.
• Design for Reliability (DFR): Apply derating, worst‑case circuit analysis, FMEA, thermal‑mechanical and vibration analysis, and reliability prediction to ensure stable RF performance and long‑duration operation in the orbital environment.
• Design for Serviceability/Supply Chain (DFS): Coordinate with supply chain and manufacturing partners to drive component standardization, second‑sourcing strategies, and obsolescence mitigation across the production lifecycle.
• Partner with manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams to define acceptance criteria, drive yield optimization, and support production ramp for sustained TeraWave operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF/Microwave Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in RF/microwave design, RF assembly, or RF systems integration in a product development and volume production environment.
• Experience designing RF/microwave assemblies with impedance‑controlled routing, high‑frequency components, and tight performance tolerances; proficiency in Altium, Cadence, ADS, HFSS, or equivalent RF design and simulation tools.
• Hands‑on experience with RF assembly processes, including connectorization, shielding, calibration, RF test, and line bring‑up.
• Demonstrated application of DFX principles (DFM/DFT/DFA/DFR) in bringing RF assemblies from design into volume production.
• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical or RF/Microwave Engineering.
• 15+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience with satellite communications, phased-array antennas, mmWave systems, or high‑frequency transceiver design.
• Experience with RF simulation and analysis (HFSS, ADS, CST)