Sr. Application Software Engineer – Chassis Tester Software

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! 

New Glenn is Blue Origin's orbital launch vehicle, and all avionics equipment that flies on it must be verified before it leaves the ground. As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will be a senior technical contributor on the Chassis Tester Software team — the engineers who build the software stack that makes that verification possible. You will work on verification systems and be responsible for requirements, design, implementation, integration and testing of various software components and tools critical for the success of New Glenn's mission.

This is not a test automation role in the traditional sense. You will write Linux instrument drivers, architect hardware-in-the-loop test frameworks, build the operator-facing tools that run on the test floor, and own the automated result-checking infrastructure (Themis) that determines pass/fail for flight-critical hardware. Your software is the last line of defense before hardware ships.

At Level 4, you set technical direction, make architectural decisions, and are accountable for the quality and reliability of the entire software stack.

• Design and implement production-quality Linux software drivers for test instruments — power supplies, DMMs, oscilloscopes, signal generators, DAQ systems — communicating over SCPI, VISA, serial, USB, and Ethernet
• Own the full driver lifecycle: characterization, implementation, integration testing, and documentation
• Work directly with avionics hardware engineers to understand instrument behavior, define operating envelopes, and validate driver correctness against hardware specs
• Architect and extend automated test execution frameworks and Themis, the team's result-checking framework
• Implement check logic, pass/fail criteria, limit management, and structured report generation for acceptance and qualification test campaigns
• Own and evolve the Platform Integration Layer common framework and its platform integrations
• Design networking architecture for multi-instrument, multi-UUT test configurations
• Build and maintain deployment automation (Ansible-based role architecture) for test system configuration management
• Drive technical debt reduction: decouple legacy behaviors, standardize interfaces, and maintain a clean common codebase
• Design and implement operator-facing applications — GUI tools and/or CLI interfaces — that allow test engineers and technicians to configure, execute, monitor, and review avionics test campaigns
• Prioritize usability, reliability, and clear feedback for non-software users operating in a fast-paced test environment

• B.S. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Expert-level Python — you write clean, testable, maintainable Python and hold others to the same standard
• Proven experience developing software on Linux — process management, filesystem, systemd, shell scripting
• Experience with the networking stack — socket programming, UDP/TCP telemetry and command transport, packet capture and parsing, network reliability handling and configuration
• Hands-on experience writing hardware interface software — instrument drivers, SCPI/VISA communication, or equivalent embedded/hardware-adjacent development
• Experience with automated test frameworks (pytest or equivalent) including fixture design, parametrization, and structured reporting
• Strong Git workflow discipline — branching strategy, code review, CI integration
• Demonstrated ability to debug across the hardware-software boundary — you are comfortable with a scope or DMM when the driver isn't behaving
• Demonstrated track record of owning a software system end-to-end — from architecture through deployment and long-term maintenance; established coding standards, review practices, and architectural patterns for the team
• Experience making and defending architectural decisions with cross-functional impact
• Proven ability to lead technical work across a team — setting direction, unblocking others, and driving delivery without being a manager
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or other safety-critical domains where software correctness has real-world consequences

• Experience with Ansible or similar infrastructure-as-code / configuration management tools
• Experience building GUI applications in Python (PyQt5/6, PySide, wxPython) or web-based operator interfaces (FastAPI, React, or similar)
• Experience with C++ in an embedded or hardware-interface context
• Familiarity with avionics test environments — EMI, TVAC, pyrotechnic systems, harness verification, automated test equipment checkout
• Experience designing networked test architectures — Ethernet instrument switching, NPC configuration, multi-node test topologies
• Knowledge of acceptance and qualification test processes in an aerospace hardware development lifecycle
• Familiarity with DOORS, Jama, or equivalent aerospace data and requirements management systems
• Experience with Docker or containerized test environments

Base Pay 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.