Flight Operations Engineer II - InCo

Blue Origin • Van Horn, WA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

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 the New Shepard program. New Shepard is a reusable suborbital rocket system designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary of space. Through operational reusability, New Shepard supports our mission of lowering the cost of access to space. As part of a hardworking team of engineers and operators, you will develop the next generation of operations infrastructure for suborbital human and payload launch activities. After completing a challenging hands-on training program and successfully certifying, you will be responsible for operating the Integrated Communications systems at our Texas launch site in support of the New Shepard pre-launch, launch, and post-launch activities. As a flight controller, your role will be pivotal in carrying out a safe and successful launch. In this role, you will also support many aspects related to development and continuous improvement of the launch operation, such as procedure authoring and verification, process improvement, and safety analysis. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and dedication to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required! This job is based in either Kent, WA or Van Horn, TX with regular (up to 50%) travel to whichever of those locations the job is not based in. Rotation schedules will be available once a flight controller have completed training. As New Shepard launch cadence increases expect to spend more time in Van Horn Texas.

Requirements

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in engineering or relevant experience.
• Minimum 3 years' experience as a flight controller, satellite operator, or industrial process controller including time on console or in a control room, and familiarity with wireless communication systems.
• Minimum 2 years direct experience with complex vehicle preparations, testing or similar technical hands-on experience.
• Strong ability and desire to understand sophisticated systems, investigate and tackle challenging problems, and work in a dynamic environment.
• Takes initiative to improve existing systems, processes, and documentation.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety and adherence to established protocols.
• Performs well in time-critical scenarios.
• Strong digital literacy and ability to learn new software tools.
• Reside at or ability to travel to West Texas launch site.

Nice To Haves

• Experience operating Cisco or Juniper network equipment.
• Experience designing or operating radio frequency communications equipment.
• Experience coding simple software programs or algorithms.
• Experience with Linux.
• Familiarity with FCC licensing.
• Experience developing, writing, and updating operating or test procedures.

Responsibilities

• Develop proficiency in operating sophisticated telecommunications, network, and avionics systems as you work toward and complete certification as an Integrated Communications controller for test and launch of the New Shepard system.
• Serve as a flight controller on launch day, leading tasks such as operation of ground stations, spectrum monitoring, and ground and vehicle network monitoring.
• Respond to off-nominal scenarios, taking appropriate actions to maintain crew and astronaut safety and help lead the team to resolution of anomalies.
• Operate the RF ground stations and avionic ground systems in support of vehicle testing and pre-launch preparations for New Shepard (vehicle checkouts, mission simulation, etc.).
• Develop procedure updates and lead operational aspects of network, radio frequency communications, and avionics equipment for use across all phases of operation.
• Support control console human interface upgrades as we deploy new console software, panels, and procedures.
• Support systems safety activities by working toward process and documentation improvement.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.
• Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees