Manager – Avionics Hardware Development Optical Comms Team

BLUE ORIGIN • Denver, CO

4d • $138,181 - $193,453

About The Position

Blue Origin’s Blue National Security organization designs, develops, and delivers launch and spacecraft systems for national security missions. The Optical Comms Team is developing space-based communications systems that provide high-speed optical connectivity. The Manager of Avionics Hardware Development will guide the architecture, design, testing, and delivery of the hardware system for the Optical Terminal, which supports the BNS team and Blue Origin more broadly.

This role leads an avionics hardware engineering team while also contributing technical expertise. The manager owns the hardware development lifecycle from concept and requirements decomposition through design, verification, qualification, and production transition, and shapes the team’s tools, processes, and standards. The position coordinates closely with cross-functional engineering and operations teams and is accountable for hardware status, risks, schedule, cost, and resource planning.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 8 years of experience in avionics or aerospace hardware engineering.
• At least 3 years of team lead experience in a hardware engineering organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading circuit card assembly design from requirements through production.
• Strong understanding of digital, analog, power electronics, and mixed-signal circuit design.
• Hands-on experience with hardware design and simulation tools such as Altium and HyperLynx.
• Experience with environmental qualification testing, including vibration, thermal, vacuum, and EMI/EMC, for space or aerospace hardware.
• Familiarity with reliability engineering principles, derating analysis, and parts management programs.
• Ability to manage schedules, budgets, and cross-functional dependencies in a fast-paced development environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical content to senior leadership.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance if required.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with spacecraft or in-space vehicle avionics systems.
• Familiarity with space-grade EEE parts (Class S, Class B) and radiation effects (TID, SEE).
• Background in FPGA design or oversight of FPGA-based avionics hardware.
• Knowledge of fault-tolerant and redundancy-management design techniques for safety-critical systems.
• Experience transitioning hardware designs from development to high-rate manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with AS9100, NASA-STD-8739.x, or MIL-STD-461/704/1553 standards.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools such as CAMEO or DOORS.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling engineering teams during program growth phases.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage avionics hardware engineers responsible for designing, developing, and producing circuit card assemblies and electronic hardware for the Optical Comms Terminal.
• Own the full hardware development lifecycle, from concept and requirements decomposition through design, verification, qualification, and production transition.
• Drive hardware architecture decisions, trade studies, and design reviews.
• Allocate system-level requirements to hardware and maintain traceability throughout the design lifecycle.
• Partner with Systems Engineering, Software, Mechanical, Thermal, and RF teams to deliver integrated avionics solutions.
• Manage team schedules, cost targets, and resource planning to meet program milestones.
• Establish and enforce design standards, processes, and best practices for avionics hardware development.
• Lead root-cause and corrective-action investigations for hardware anomalies and failures.
• Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing, and Quality Engineering to ensure designs are producible, testable, and meet workmanship standards.
• Recruit, develop, and retain avionics hardware engineering talent, providing mentorship and career-growth opportunities.
• Brief program leadership and stakeholders on hardware status, risks, and mitigation plans.
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards, including NASA, MIL-SPEC, and EEE parts requirements, and with export-control regulations such as ITAR/EAR.

Benefits

• Medical insurance.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Basic and supplemental life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) with company match of up to 5%.
• Education Support Program.
• Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week.
• Paid time off of up to four weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours.
• Up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Depending on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on individual contributions or company results; amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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