Instrument Specialist III — Oasis-1 Mission (Space Resources Program)

Blue Origin•Los Angeles, CA

11d•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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design. We believe that to preserve our planet, humanity must expand beyond our current limits, venturing into space to explore and harness new energy and material resources. In pursuit of this vision, we invite you to join our Space Resources Program, working alongside Blue Alchemist, Blue Origin’s initiative to enable lunar surface power production and building blocks for humanity from local materials. The Space Resources Program encompasses multiple projects; in this role, you will contribute across the portfolio, including the current Blue Alchemist effort and future initiatives. We’re dedicated to developing and demonstrating Prospecting and In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. If our mission resonates with you and you are eager to contribute, you could be the perfect addition to our inclusive, open-minded, and forward-thinking team. In this hands-on role, you will work in a fully in-person capacity at our Los Angeles SRCE facility. You will serve as an Instrument Specialist, executing assembly, integration, verification, and calibration of two flight Instrument Modules and an Engineering Model under the guidance of the Instrument Lead and in close coordination with Design & Integration (D&I). You will contribute to instrument design, receive and kit parts, build and test hardware per the finalized V&V plan, maintain calibration artifact traceability, and prepare GSE and procedures. You will support laboratory calibrations (Imaging Spectrometer, GRNS, magnetometers), contribute to the on-orbit calibration plan and CRB materials, and lead portions of field test setup, data collection, and closeout. You will assist with interface verification to the satellite and dispenser, participate in joint TRRs/QRs/FRRs with PA/QA witnessing, and provide inputs to operator procedures for commissioning and operations. You will work closely with electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, planetary scientists, and a senior geochemist. We value self-motivated, hands-on leaders who can find practical solutions to abstract problems. Our teams work in fast-paced cycles of design, analysis, and operations to deliver scalable solutions. We’re looking for someone adaptable, willing to take action, eager to learn, and committed to a highly dedicated and open-minded team of team players working together, all while embracing a culture of safety and quality. Your creativity, innovative spirit, and ability to navigate changing requirements are crucial. Conditions of Employment: Offer and start are contingent upon contract award/funding and required internal approvals. If the contract is not awarded, the role may be paused or canceled.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
4+ years of hands-on AIT experience with spaceborne instruments in at least one of: gamma ray spectroscopy (GRS), neutron detection, magnetometry, multispectral/visible‑NIR imaging.
Demonstrated experience assembling and testing flight hardware per formal procedures and a V&V plan, including functional and environmental testing (TVAC, vibration/shock).
Experience executing or supporting instrument calibrations with external labs/vendors and integrating calibration results into data processing pipelines.
Proficiency with lab instrumentation and GSE (e.g., oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, power supplies, thermal/vacuum fixtures); ability to read schematics, ICDs, and mechanical drawings.
Familiarity with configuration management, as-built records, travelers, and EBOM↔MBOM collaboration with D&I.
Experience with NCR/MRB processes and PA/QA witnessing/IV&V coordination.
Data analysis skills (e.g., Python or MATLAB) for calibration validation, error quantification, and report generation.
Strong documentation and cross-functional communication; ability to work across Systems, D&I, Software, MA/Q, and supplier teams.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field; 6+ years of relevant experience.
SmallSat/CubeSat heritage building two flight units and EMs through environmental test and delivery.
Depth in Imaging Spectrometer calibration; GRNS spectral calibration; magnetometer alignment/scale/frequency response.
Experience with EMI/EMC practices and testing; grounding/bonding/shielding; EEE parts selection/derating and radiation considerations (TID/SEE).
Experience developing/maintaining CM-controlled calibration databases and preparing audit-ready artifacts for SRR/PDR/CDR/QR/TRR/FRR.
Hands-on field testing experience including comms setup, ground-truth instrumentation, and data quality assessment; HIL bench integration.
Tooling proficiency (e.g., Altium/KiCad for design review, SPICE for analyses, LabVIEW/Python for test automation and data processing).

Responsibilities

Instrument Module design, assembly, integration, and test
Contribute to instrument design; receive, inspect, and kit parts; assemble two flight Instrument Modules and an Engineering Model; execute ATP/functional tests and environmental testing (TVAC, vibration/shock) per the finalized V&V plan.
Maintain travelers, as-built records, calibration artifact traceability, and CM discipline.
Deliver completion evidence for Instrument Module V&V and hardware meeting requirements.
Calibration execution and data integration
Support procurement/scheduling of calibrations; coordinate shipments and lab readiness; witness or review vendor calibration activities for Imaging Spectrometer, GRNS, and magnetometers.
Validate calibration datasets, update coefficients, and integrate results into the data pipeline; maintain the calibration database under configuration management.
Deliver verified calibration datasets and inputs to the locked on-orbit calibration plan and CRB packages.
Field test planning and execution
Prepare for FTRR; ready EM and GSE; conduct rehearsals and comms link checks; support site logistics and safety.
Collect datasets across terrains/geometries; record ground truth; ingest/process data; contribute to geospatial projection process, compare to truth; quantify errors; propose updates to calibration/pipeline parameters.
Deliver approved Field Test Plan/Procedures, discrepancy/corrective-action records, and Field Test Closeout artifacts.
Interfaces and ICD verification
Support instrument contributions to Mechanical/Electrical ICDs; perform fit/functional checks and interface tests with the satellite and dispenser; coordinate with D&I on EBOM↔MBOM mapping and audits.
Deliver interface verification evidence, test reports, and signed ICD inputs.
Integration and verification support
Assist in integrating Instrument Modules onto satellites and into dispensers; participate in joint TRRs with suppliers and PA/QA witnessing; support environmental and deployment testing.
Deliver inputs to Interface Verification Reports, environmental test reports, and integrated satellite ATP data.
Configuration management, quality, and documentation
Maintain CM-controlled procedures, calibration databases, and as-built records; manage NCRs and support MRB; contribute to PA/QA audits and IV&V coordination.
Deliver CM/audit records, NCR/MRB dispositions, and test procedures/reports.
Operations readiness and commissioning
Contribute to operator procedures and pass plans; support ORR/MRR/FRR preparation; provide on-console support during commissioning and early operations for instrument bring-up and telemetry monitoring.
Deliver commissioning reports and updates to calibration coefficients based on flight data.
Reviews and gates participation
Prepare and present instrument content for SRR/PDR/CDR/QR/TRR/FRR; track and close actions and gating items.
Deliver review packages, minutes, and action closures.

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.

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