Director, Avionics Hardware Design

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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

Blue Origin is seeking a Director of Avionics Hardware to lead the hardware engineering organization responsible for the design, qualification, and delivery of multiple avionics systems supporting New Glenn and Lunar applications. This role owns the full hardware design lifecycle from concept and schematic capture through box-level verification, integration, and production support.

This senior leadership position will manage a multi-disciplinary team of electrical engineers, FPGA designers, EEE component specialists, PCB layout engineers, avionics mechanical designers, and electromechanical actuator (EMA) drive electronics engineers. The organization delivers flight-certified hardware on demanding schedules, operating at the intersection of deep technical rigor and program urgency.

Job Responsibilities

Technical Ownership

- Own the avionics hardware technical baseline; serve as the engineering authority for electrical design decisions, architecture tradeoffs, and design review disposition.

- Lead electrical design for mixed-signal avionics boards, power conversion electronics, and ignition systems, ensuring compliance with applicable standards (IPC, NASA) and Blue Origin design rules.

- Provide technical direction and approval authority across the full hardware stack: FPGA design and firmware verification, EEE component selection and derating analysis, PCB layout for high-speed and high-density assemblies, and avionics mechanical packaging (vibration, thermal, EMI/EMC).

- Define and continuously improve the hardware verification and qualification strategy including board checkout, environmental qualification (thermal, vibration, shock, altitude), and acceptance test procedures working in close partnership with the test equipment and test engineering teams.

- Maintain deep technical engagement: review schematics, approve component substitutions, resolve design anomalies, and serve as final design review authority for new hardware and major changes.

- Lead the design and qualification of electromechanical actuator drive electronics, including high-current motor drive circuits, resolver and encoder signal conditioning, fault detection and protection logic, and thermal management for actuator power stages; coordinate interface requirements with the GNC and vehicle systems teams to ensure actuator bandwidth, authority, and reliability margins are met.

- Identify long-lead technical risks early and drive mitigation plans with urgency; elevate hardware obsolescence, supplier capability, and design margin issues before they impact schedule.

Program Execution

- Lead hardware deliverables for multiple concurrent avionics development programs; establish and maintain accurate schedule baselines, resource plans, and milestone tracking that reflect true technical risk.

- Partner with Systems Engineering, Software, and Test to align interface requirements, manage change traffic, and maintain configuration control across hardware baseline revisions.

- Drive the hardware design-to-production transition: own the design-for-manufacturability process, support supplier and PCB fabrication/assembly qualifications, and resolve build anomalies rapidly to protect delivery schedules.

- Manage make/buy decisions, supplier statements of work, and supplier technical performance for all externally procured avionics hardware; hold suppliers accountable to quality and delivery commitments.

- Coordinate capital equipment and lab investments across the hardware design and test equipment teams; prioritize spending to eliminate schedule-critical bottlenecks.

- Track and report program status with transparency: surface risks, variances, and trade decisions at the right level without filtering or delay.

Organizational Leadership

- Build, develop, and retain a high-performing hardware engineering organization across multiple disciplines; maintain the technical talent pipeline through deliberate hiring, onboarding, and career development.

- Define clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations; conduct regular performance calibration, and provide differentiated feedback and recognition to accelerate team growth.

- Foster a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and operational discipline; set the standard that hardware ships on time, meets spec, and has the margin to do it again.

- Work across organizational boundaries with Test, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Mission Assurance to build effective working relationships and break down silos that slow hardware delivery.

- Develop and execute on a multi-year hardware engineering roadmap, including team capability investments, tool standardization, lab infrastructure, and process improvements that reduce the cost and schedule of hardware development over time.

- Represent the hardware organization in cross-functional reviews, program management meetings, and leadership forums; communicate status, decisions, and needs clearly and with appropriate urgency.

Minimum Qualifications

- B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.

- 15+ years of progressive experience in avionics, aerospace electronics, embedded electronics, or defense electronics hardware development.

- 5+ years of direct people management experience, including managing managers and leading multi-discipline engineering teams.

- Demonstrated experience owning hardware through full development lifecycle: requirements, design, fabrication, test, qualification, and production transition.

- Deep hands-on background in at least two of: mixed-signal electronics design, FPGA design, EEE component engineering, PCB layout, avionics mechanical packaging, or ignition/power electronics.

- Experience with environmental qualification programs (vibration, thermal cycling, shock, altitude) and familiarity with applicable standards (MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-810, IPC-A-610, NASA-STD-8739).

- Demonstrated ability to manage complex program schedules and deliver hardware on time in a fast-paced, resource-constrained 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. in Electrical Engineering or related field.

- Experience in space electronics.

- Experience with electromechanical actuator (EMA) drive electronics, brushless DC motor control, or high-current power electronics for aerospace applications.

- Experience with Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or equivalent PCB design tools; familiarity with FPGA toolchains (Xilinx Vivado, Intel Quartus).

- Background in instrumentation signal conditioning (thermocouple, pressure transducer, accelerometer) and data acquisition system architecture.

- Experience working with external PCB fabrication and assembly suppliers, including DFM review and supplier quality qualification.