Lidar and Camera Development Engineer - Lunar Avionics

BLUE ORIGIN•Seattle, WA

63d•$130,706 - $182,988•Onsite

About The Position

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. As part of a hardworking team, the Lidar and Camera Development Engineer will be a member of the Optical Systems group within Lunar Avionics, working within a tightly knit group that is developing advanced lidar and camera systems across Blue Origin’s Lunar vehicles. You will assist in the development of these optical sensor systems for rendezvous, navigation, proximity operations, and docking, along with manned crew applications, for Blue Origin’s spacecraft. You will participate in the full life cycle of these systems from early concepts to product prototypes to qualified and deployed flight hardware. This role is deeply interdisciplinary and requires coordination among a group of internal stakeholders, adjacent integrated product teams, and suppliers. Your contributions will enable the flight of state-of-the-art aerospace vehicles and missions.

Requirements

B.S. in Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Imaging Science or related area of study
5+ years working with lidar, laser systems, image sensors, vision-based guidance systems, or related areas
Experience in the development, prototyping, testing, calibration, and verification of lidar/optical imaging or guidance systems for aerospace, automotive, medical, or robotics applications
Knowledge of receiver systems and optical detectors
Understanding of atmospheric propagation, target interaction (speckle, reflectivity, BRDF, etc.), and optical link budgets
Background working with multidisciplinary optical-based systems involving complex electronics, signal processing, and/or precision opto-mechanical assemblies
Exposure to product schedule, cost, delivery, and supplier management
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to reach across discipline boundaries to solve integration issues spanning hardware, firmware, and controls
Desire to work hands-on, both independently and as part of a team, throughout the development and production phases of the electronic assembly product lifecycle
Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and supply to a culture of collaboration
U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum

Nice To Haves

M.S. in Physics, Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent
7+ years of experience in design, development, test, and operation of complex opto-electrical systems
Experience in design and integration of sensors, cameras, or instruments for space vehicles and/or space environments
Experience with optical system design and simulation using tools such as Zemax OpticStudio, Code V, FRED, LightTools, etc.
Knowledge of signal processing and/or image processing techniques
Knowledge of MATLAB/Simulink, Python, or other programming language
Experience with analog, digital or mixed-signal circuit design, including analysis, simulation, test, troubleshooting, and part selection
Knowledge of signal integrity, power, grounding, and general board layout principles
Knowledge of radiation effects on electronics and how to apply this to designs targeting space applications

Responsibilities

Collaborate in the development of lidar- and vision-based optical sensor hardware for guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) of crewed and uncrewed lander systems
Coordinate, and contribute to, multi-disciplinary design of lidar and other complex systems incorporating lasers, optics, optomechanical elements, electronics, and FPGAs
Support the fabrication and lab testing of prototype hardware
Contribute to/lead procurement, vendor coordination, delivery, acceptance, installation, verification, validation, qualification, and certification of component hardware
Support the development and execution of component-level test programs, including sensor characterization and calibration, sensor performance modeling, and integrated on-vehicle testing
Guide environmental testing (shock/vibration, thermal vacuum, etc.) and flight tests to validate top-level system specifications and requirements and establish sensor performance specifications
Support design risk analyses, failure modes effects and criticality analyses (FMECA), design for test/manufacture/cost (DFx), and root-cause analysis of test discrepancies
Participate in program level technology development, mission assurance and safety initiatives, and avionics development process improvements
Effectively communicate development status, risks, and challenges to management