Manager – Avionics Hardware Development Optical Comms Team

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.

At Blue Origin, we are driving towards a future with millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space highly capable, 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 communications network designed to deliver high-speed optical communications, providing connectivity for our systems.

As a Manager of Avionics Hardware Development on our Optical Comms Team, you will guide the architecture, design, test, and deliver the hardware system for our Optical Terminal that is essential not just for our BNS Team, but for Blue Origin in general. You'll lead a team of engineers, and will lead from the trenches, with your own expertise and experience, navigating the challenges, shaping the tools, processes, and standards that define how this team works. This is a role with real impact; your decisions directly influence whether we achieve our mission objectives.

If you don't meet every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply. We know exceptional engineers come from many different backgrounds, and we value the perspective and experience you bring.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- Lead and manage a team of avionics hardware engineers responsible for the design, development, and production of circuit card assemblies and electronic hardware our Optical Comms Terminal
- Own the full hardware development lifecycle (from concept and requirements decomposition through design, verification, qualification, and production transition)
- Drive hardware architecture decisions, trade studies, and design reviews
- Allocate system-level requirements to hardware and ensure traceability throughout the design lifecycle
- Partner with Systems Engineering, Software, Mechanical, Thermal, and RF teams to ensure integrated avionics solutions
- Manage team schedules, cost targets, and resource planning to meet program milestones
- Establish and enforce design standards, processes, and best practices for avionics hardware development
- Lead root cause and corrective action investigations for hardware anomalies and failures
- Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing and Quality Engineering to ensure designs are producible, testable, and meet workmanship standards
- Recruit, develop, and retain top avionics hardware engineering talent; provide mentorship and career growth opportunities
- Brief program leadership and stakeholders on hardware status, risks, and mitigation plans
- Ensure compliance with applicable standards (NASA, MIL-SPEC, EEE parts requirements, etc.) and export control regulations (ITAR/EAR)

Minimum Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- 8+ years of experience in avionics or aerospace hardware engineering
- 3+ years of team lead experience in a hardware engineering organization
- Demonstrated experience leading circuit card assembly design from requirements through production
- Strong understanding of digital, analog, power electronics, and mixed-signal circuit design
- Hands-on experience with hardware design and simulation tools (e.g., Altium, HyperLynx, etc)
- Experience with environmental qualification testing (vibration, thermal, vacuum, EMI/EMC) for space or aerospace hardware
- Familiarity with reliability engineering principles, derating analysis, and parts management programs
- Proven ability to manage schedules, budgets, and cross-functional dependencies in a fast-paced development environment
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical content to senior leadership
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance if required
- 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

- Experience with spacecraft or in-space vehicle avionics systems· Familiarity with space-grade EEE parts (Class S, Class B) and radiation effects (TID, SEE)
- Background in FPGA design or oversight of FPGA-based avionics hardware
- Knowledge of fault-tolerant and redundancy management design techniques for safety-critical systems
- Experience transitioning hardware designs from development to high-rate manufacturing environments
- Familiarity with AS9100, NASA-STD-8739.x, or MIL-STD-461/704/1553 standards
- Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (e.g., CAMEO, DOORS)
- Demonstrated success building and scaling engineering teams during program growth phases

Base Pay Range for:
CO applicants is $138,181.00 - $193,453.05

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