Avionics System Engineer III - Avionics Controllers

Application close date:

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! 

As the Avionics Controllers Systems Engineer, you will be a hands-on technical leader for a family of embedded controllers used across multiple vehicles and mechanisms (e.g., gimbals, valves, pumps, deployables). You will own the end-to-end integration and verification of these high-reliability products, ensuring they are ready to support human lunar missions. You will be responsible for defining test strategies, executing hands-on integration in the lab, and leading the resolution of complex issues to deliver safe and repeatable hardware.

• Own end-to-end technical execution for multiple embedded controllers, including requirements management, interface definition, qualification and acceptance testing, integration planning, and verification closure.
• Lead anomaly triage and root cause analysis (e.g., fishbone, 5 Whys) with cross-functional SMEs, adjudicate test failures, and present design changes or waivers to Chief Engineers, Vehicle Leads, and technical review boards.
• Define integration success criteria and verification strategy, then plan and execute Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing to demonstrate compliance and close verification evidence.
• Execute hands-on avionics troubleshooting and integration checkout, including harness checkout/integration, RS-422/RS-485 serial debug and emulation, and analog signal verification using logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and DMMs in ESD-controlled lab environments.
• Partner with vehicle and subsystem teams (“customers”) to define integration constraints, operability needs, and verification evidence requirements.
• Identify reuse opportunities by leveraging prior hardware builds and historical test data to streamline verification campaigns and shorten schedules.
• Manage multi-tier supplier technical execution and internal stakeholder alignment to accelerate critical-path root cause analysis and hardware procurement.
• Contribute to the verification of fault-tolerant motor control designs, including redundancy strategies, safe-state behavior, fault detection/isolation/recovery, and built-in test capabilities.

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a relevant technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in the integration, testing, and troubleshooting of embedded systems, motor controls, or avionics hardware.
• Demonstrated experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test environments, including test planning, execution, and data analysis.
• Hands-on proficiency with lab equipment, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, digital multimeters (DMMs), and power supplies for debugging and verification.
• Solid understanding of digital communication protocols (e.g., RS-422/485, Ethernet, SPI, I2C) and experience debugging them at the physical layer.
• Experience owning a technical baseline for a product (requirements, ICDs, verification, configuration control).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience leading technical reviews and presenting complex data to leadership.
• Proven ability to work independently and lead troubleshooting efforts in a fast-paced R&D environment.

• Experience developing and testing spacecraft mechanism controllers (e.g., solar array drive assemblies, antenna gimbals, valve controllers, pump drives).
• Experience serving as a Responsible Engineer (RE) for hardware integration and test.
• Experience performing FMEA/FTA or other reliability/fault tolerance analyses.
• Experience working in a safety-critical development environment (e.g., aerospace, automotive, medical) and supporting qualification testing campaigns.
• Familiarity with systems engineering tools such as Jama (or similar) and PLM systems for configuration management.
• Familiarity with Altium (or equivalent) for collaborating on PCB design reviews.
• Basic project management skills (planning, milestones, risk management, cross-team coordination).

Compensation Range for:

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.