Lead System Engineer- Mk1

Blue Origin • Space Coast, WA

7d

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 Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. To further Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface. Blue Origin is seeking a highly experienced Level 5 Lead Systems Engineer to serve as the vehicle-level technical leader for MK1-102 , the mission that delivers NASA's VIPER rover to the lunar surface. In this critical senior leadership role, you will own the end-to-end systems engineering responsibility for the vehicle as it matures through Critical Design Review toward integration, test, and flight: how its requirements are defined and baselined, how the design is closed out, how the VIPER payload is integrated, and how the integrated vehicle is verified and validated from component test through mission and landing readiness. You will work with MK1 Chief engineer and be responsible for major design and mission impacting technical decision. Your work will directly determine how MK1-102 comes together, physically and functionally. You will serve as the technical decision-maker across all Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) for the mission, driving Design Analysis Cycles (DACs) toward CDR and partnering closely with Build Operations & Vehicle Test (I&T) for mission success. This is a highly visible role that demands technical depth, leadership maturity, and the ability to drive consensus across a complex vehicle program on a path to launch.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field
• 12+ years of experience in systems engineering roles within aerospace, defense, or related industries
• Demonstrated experience as a technical lead responsible for full-vehicle or multi-element system development and integration
• Experience owning a complex system through the development lifecycle.
• Experience developing and executing at least parts of the verification and validation (V&V) plans.
• Experience working directly with subsystems, mission operations and Integration & Test teams to support vehicle assembly, testing and operations.
• Demonstrated ability to drive technical decisions and achieve consensus across large, cross-functional engineering teams
• Excellence in technical communication, including presenting complex technical challenges and solutions to senior leadership and customers

Nice To Haves

• Experience with lunar or planetary landers, spacecraft, launch vehicles, or NASA HLS / Artemis / CLPS program requirements
• Experience integrating NASA or commercial payloads, including payload-to-vehicle interface management and deployment or offloading concepts of operations
• Experience taking a vehicle through Critical Design Review and into integration, test, and launch operations, including verification closure activities
• Background in one or more analysis disciplines (GN&C, propulsion, thermal, structural, or performance) as applied to integrated vehicles, particularly Descent, Deorbit & Landing (DDL).
• Familiarity with cryogenic propulsion systems (e.g., LH2/LOX)
• Experience with deployable mechanisms (e.g., solar arrays, payload offloaders) through development test and qualification
• Experience with requirement definition and verification management.
• Familiarity with NASA systems engineering processes, including NPR 7123.1
• Familiarity with GD&T principles and their application to mechanical interfaces
• Experience with system modeling tools and practices
• Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Vehicle Lead Systems Engineer for the MK1-102 mission, owning the integrated technical baseline from requirements definition through flight.
• Own the definition, decomposition, allocation, and management of vehicle and mission requirements and design parameter, ensuring they are properly allocated.
• Drive the technical content of the program's Design Analysis Cycles (DACs) toward Critical Design Review, converting mission objectives into a coordinated, executable engineering plan across all IPTs and holding the design to its exit criteria.
• Lead the vehicle into and through Critical Design Review and Integration & Test readiness, driving design close-out and change control to a stable configuration
• Develop and define the overall verification and validation (V&V) approach for the vehicle, ensuring every requirement, function and design parameter has a defined verification method and driving closure through component, subassembly, and integrated vehicle-level campaigns.
• Accountable for VIPER payload integration , accommodation and overall ability of the vehicle to comply with payload deployment/offloader concept of operations
• Accountable for mission-enabling and working with mission analysis teams to make sure the vehicle can achieve its mission objectives reliably and with sufficient margins.
• Review and approve vehicle and mission-level Interface Control Documents (ICDs), including interfaces to NASA VIPER and other payloads.
• Review and approve design impacting major vehicle decisions.
• Lead and delegate vehicle and mission-level trade studies, evaluate the cross-system impact of proposed design changes, and recommend disposition; drive configuration freezes and change control.
• Identify, assess, and track integration and mission risks; develop mitigation strategies and drive resolution across functional teams; support risk and non-conformance disposition.
• Collaborate with subsystem leads/REs, and SE leads to ensure integrated vehicle performance meets mission requirements across all mission phases.
• Represent the vehicle and mission in program and customer-level reviews as well as NASA technical interchanges.
• Mentor and guide engineers across the program.
• Sever as vehicle spacecraft engineer during mission operations.
• Drive technical consensus across functional teams on vehicle and mission-level decisions, and serve as a primary technical interface presenting complex trades and status to senior leadership

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.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior