Sr. Systems Engineer - Fault Management & System Autonomy (TS/SCI Required)

Blue Origin; Littleton (CO); On-site; USD 134,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Stock options

Paid time off

Job summary

Blue Origin in Colorado is seeking a veteran Spacecraft FMSA engineer to design fault management and autonomy architectures across mission phases. You will collaborate with your SSE peers to ensure fault tolerance and system reliability for cutting-edge spacecraft programs.

You will lead safety analyses (FMECA, FTA, FHAs, PRA), mentor engineers, and guide the development and verification of autonomous functions across Blue Ring platforms.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in aerospace engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of aerospace design, development, and test experience.
• Experience with fault-tolerance strategies for safety-critical systems.
• Experience with autonomous system design, analysis, and test.
• Experience across the full lifecycle development of aerospace systems.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, fluid schematics, and electrical diagrams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• US citizen or eligible for US work authorization.

Responsibilities

• Establish and design fault management architectures including design principles and requirements.
• Define redundancy architecture, including cross-strapping and fault containment regions for integrated systems.
• Lead the architecture, design, and analysis of autonomous behaviors, modes, and states.
• Direct engineering activities including FMECA, FTA, FHAs, PRA, reliability analyses, and mitigation plans.
• Plan and execute integrated system fault management and autonomy verification and validation programs.
• Monitor and approve fault management and autonomy design, development, and test.
• Mentor and provide guidance to other engineers across the program and company.
• Perform as the primary FMSA engineer for spacecraft development programs.
• Collaborate with Blue Ring FMSA engineers to develop best practices.

Skills

Fault-tolerant architectures

Autonomous system design

FMECA / FTA / FHAs

Spacecraft development

Cross-functional collaboration

Engineering leadership

Education

B.S. in aerospace engineering

MS/PhD in aerospace 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! This role is part of Blue National Security (BNS), where our focus is the design, development, and delivery of launch and spacecraft systems for national security missions. Through Blue Ring, our all-in-one, high-powered hybrid solar-electric and chemical-propelled spacecraft, we provide unmatched mission maneuverability, versatility, and capacity at dramatically lower-profile costs. As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will ensure our spacecraft satisfies the needs of our customers and partners, and crafts the larger vehicle fault management architecture to enable us to successfully implement the required capabilities for our mission. As a member of the Spacecraft Systems Engineering team, you will be responsible for developing our fault management and system autonomy (FMSA) architecture with an emphasis on associated processes, products, and analyses over all mission phases. You will work with fault protection and system autonomy requirements development, testing, validation, and verification efforts. The position requires strong collaboration within the SSE team and across the entire program. In this fast-paced and dynamic environment, you will contribute to innovative solutions while demonstrating personal leadership, technical competence and judgement, and a commitment to the highest technical standards. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and dedication to quality to increase accessibility to space. Passion for our mission and vision is required! If you’re excited by providing near-term value, solving novel problems, and expanding your technical toolkit,

Special Mentions

Relocation assistance provided Travel is expected to be up to approximately 15% of the time. TS/SCI with CI poly is required Located in the Greater Seattle area.

Responsibilities

• Establish and design fault management architectures including design principles and requirements
• Asist in the definition of redundancy architecture, including cross-strapping and fault containment regions for integrated systems
• Lead the architecture, design, and analysis of autonomous behaviors, modes, and states
• Direct engineering activities including Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analyses (FMECA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Functional Hazard Analyses (FHAs), Probabilistic Risk Assessments (PRA), reliability analyses, and developing mitigation plans
• Plan and execute integrated system Fault Management and Autonomy Verification and Validation programs
• Monitor and approve fault management and autonomy design, development, and test
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to other engineers across the program and company
• Perform as the primary FMSA engineer for spacecraft development programs.
• Collaborate across Blue Ring FMSA engineers to develop best practices and find opportunities for common architectures across certain platforms where practical

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering or related field
• 10+ years of related experience in the design, development, and test of aerospace systems, preferably spacecraft.
• Demonstrated experience with fault-tolerance strategies and architectures for safety and mission critical systems
• Experience with autonomous system design, analysis, and test
• Experience with most of the lifecycle development of aerospace systems, including requirement definition, design solution definition, implementation, integration, verification and validation, qualification, commissioning, and operation
• First principles knowledge of major spacecraft subsystems
• Experience with performing and leading safety analyses including Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analyses (FMECA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Functional Hazard Analyses (FHAs), and Human Error Assessments
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, fluid schematics, and electrical circuit diagrams
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate technical information to non-technical partners
• Ability to form relationships with experts from varying engineering fields and provide constructive feedback about FMSA, safety, and reliability concerns
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to our inclusive culture.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast paced, dynamic work environment
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or PhD in aerospace engineering or related field
• Experience performing system safety and/or reliability analyses on satellites or human-rated in-space systems
• Strong safety and mission assurance fundamentals
• Experience performing compliance assessment of system safety processes and products against external standards including Range Safety, NASA, FAA, MIL-STD-882, or ARP-4761
• Process ownership and maintenance experience
• Knowledge of fault-tolerance strategies and architectures for safety and mission critical systems
• Knowledge of autonomous system design, analysis, and test
• Experience defining and performing complex trade studies
• Experience with design, development, and certification of human spaceflight systems, avionics system architectures and designs, and radiation environments/effects
• Experience with logical and physical architecture definition and decomposition
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing

Base Pay Range

Base Pay Range for: CO applicants is $133,500.00 - $186,898.95 WA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20 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