System Safety Engineer III - New Glenn

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 supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

Fully independent system safety engineer with deep systems engineering fluency. Owns end-to-end safety assessment for vehicle elements and subsystems—hazard analysis, failure mode identification, risk quantification, and safety case development—while also contributing to systems engineering integration, verification, and certification activities. This role bridges the gap between the SQMA safety organization and element-level SE teams, ensuring safety is embedded in the design process rather than applied after the fact. Reports within AERS Engineering & Systems on the New Glenn GS1/9E program.

Core Responsibilities – System Safety

- Lead and execute Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA/FHAA), Preliminary Hazard Analyses (PHA), and Subsystem Hazard Analyses (SSHA) for assigned vehicle elements
- Author and maintain FMECAs for assigned subsystems; derive Critical Items Lists (CIL) and basic events for Fault Tree Analyses
- Develop and maintain Fault Tree Analyses (FTA) for safety-critical functions; quantify unreliability and identify single-point failures and common-cause vulnerabilities
- Perform Common Cause Analyses (CCA) and Zonal Safety Assessments to identify latent failure interactions
- Own hazard sheets and hazard tracking for assigned subsystems; drive hazard closure through design changes, operational controls, or accepted risk
- Develop safety requirements and derive safety-related design constraints; flow into DNG requirements and track verification closure
- Support Architecture Safety Assessments (ASA)—ensure system architecture meets safety intent and that redundancy/independence claims are substantiated
- Represent system safety at design reviews; author safety review packages and present findings to safety review boards
- Perform safety assessments for Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) and nonconformance dispositions—evaluate safety impact of proposed changes
- Lead or support mishap/anomaly investigation safety analysis (contributing cause identification, barrier analysis, corrective action adequacy assessment)
- Experience with FAA 14 CFR Part 450 public safety requirements

Core Responsibilities – Systems Engineering

- Contribute to element-level systems engineering for 9E GS1—requirements decomposition, interface management, verification planning, and configuration control
- Lead verification campaigns for safety-critical requirements—plan, execute, and close out verification evidence
- Perform cross-subsystem integration analysis at vehicle interfaces where safety and systems engineering intersect (e.g., propulsion/structures, avionics/GN&C, TPS/thermal)
- Represent SE and safety at program-level forums drive action closure on safety-related items
- Author technical decision memos and trade study reports for safety-critical design choices
- Support certification activities—Element Design Reviews (EDRs), Pre-Ship Reviews (PSRs), Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs)—with safety case artifacts
- Contribute to customer certification safety documentation as the program scales toward national security missions

Qualifications

- B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field (M.S. strongly preferred)
- 5–10 years of combined system safety and systems engineering experience, with demonstrated progression in scope and complexity
- Deep, hands-on experience with hazard analysis methods: FHA, FMECA, FTA, CCA, PHA —not just familiarity, but authorship of these artifacts on real programs
- Working knowledge of systems engineering processes: requirements decomposition, verification planning, interface management, configuration control
- Experience with safety standards and regulatory frameworks: MIL-STD-882, MIL-STD-1629, SAE ARP4761, NASA-STD-8719, FAA 14 CFR Part 450 (at least two)
- Ability to quantify risk—probabilistic methods, reliability modeling, failure rate databases (MIL-HDBK-217, NPRD/EPRD, or equivalent)
- Strong technical writing skills—ability to author hazard analyses, safety cases, and technical decision memos that withstand review board scrutiny
- Excellent communication skills—ability to present safety findings to program leadership, design teams, and external reviewers (FAA, customer)

Preferred Qualifications

- M.S. or Ph.D. in relevant engineering field
- Experience with launch vehicle or human-rated spacecraft safety programs
- Experience with reusable vehicle systems—understanding of how reuse changes the safety paradigm (fatigue, degradation, refurbishment inspection adequacy)
- INCOSE CSEP or ESEP certification
- Familiarity with customer certification requirements process
- Experience with fracture control programs (NASA-STD-5019 or equivalent)
- Programming skills (Python, MATLAB) for reliability modeling and data analysis
- Experience with AI/ML tools for engineering analysis or automation

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