Mission Planning Engineer III – Blue Ring (Top Secret/SCI Clearance Required)

BLUE ORIGIN • Seattle, WA

4d • 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! The role is part of the In-Space Systems business unit, which is focused on addressing two of the most compelling challenges in spaceflight today: space infrastructure and increasing mobility on-orbit. This role is part of the In-Space Systems business unit, which is pioneering the development, manufacturing, and operation of Blue Ring, a groundbreaking space-mobility platform that unlocks unparalleled access to any orbit and the freedom to maneuver between orbits at will. With Blue Ring, our customers are empowered to go anywhere in cislunar or Earth orbit domains, redefine mission flexibility, and pursue bold new concepts that were once beyond reach. If you’re energized by the idea of working with a platform capable of enabling missions without compromise, this is your moment to make history with us. As a Mission Planning Engineer, you will be responsible for leading the development of mission planning processes, products, and operational workflows across the Blue Ring program. You are the critical bridge spanning the full mission planning chain — from system-level requirements and mission design, through concept of operations development, down to the command sequences, procedures, and plays that operations teams execute. You will translate top-level mission objectives and constraints into structured planning frameworks, ensure those frameworks drive the development of executable operational products, and provide the mission planners who execute operations with the processes, templates, and tools they need to succeed. Your expertise in mission planning, orbital mechanics, spacecraft operations, and software development will be essential in standing up a world-class mission planning capability for complex, multi-mission operations. Join us in enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit earth — passion for our mission is required! Special Mentions: Based at our Seattle, WA area offices. Relocation provided. Active Top Secret (TS/SCI) Clearance required to start.

Requirements

• Active US Government Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field
• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft mission operations, mission planning, flight dynamics, or flight operations
• Demonstrated experience designing or significantly contributing to new mission planning processes, tools, or systems
• Experience developing command sequences, operational procedures, or activity timelines for spacecraft operations
• Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems and how they constrain operational planning (power, thermal, data, comms availability, attitude)
• Software development experience in Python or equivalent programming language
• Experience working across organizational boundaries to integrate engineering outputs into operational products
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities
• Strong communication and coordination skills for interfacing with customers, engineering teams, and operations personnel
• Ability to earn trust, build positive professional relationships and collaborate with individuals of broad backgrounds to achieve mission success

Nice To Haves

• M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• Experience with multi-mission or constellation operations planning
• Experience leading or coordinating test exercises, rehearsals, or operational readiness activities
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approaches and how they feed operational planning
• Experience with ground system command and control architectures
• Experience with hosted or separable payload mission planning and operations
• Knowledge of electric propulsion systems and low-thrust trajectory planning
• Experience applying AI/ML techniques to engineering workflows, such as building or integrating intelligent automation, optimization models, or data-driven decision support tools

Responsibilities

• Design and own end-to-end mission planning process from mission design through operational execution, including planning cycle workflows, activity request intake, deconfliction, resource allocation, and timeline generation.
• Establish constraint frameworks that govern how activities are scheduled, sequenced, and validated across all Blue Ring missions.
• Translate system-level requirements, mission design outputs (trajectory plans, spacecraft models, ConOps), and mission objectives into actionable planning requirements.
• Define command sequence structure, procedure formats, and play architectures that align with the mission planning process and enable development of executable operational products.
• Ensure mission planners have clear, validated activity templates, planning tools, and operational processes to execute planning cycles during mission operations.
• Partner with mission planning software architects and developers to define operational requirements, and design, validate, and integrate mission-unique activity templates and command sequences into planning tools.
• Lead development of mission planning ops products, including activity templates, constraint definitions, planning procedures, and timeline products.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of mission planning tools and automation capabilities.
• Support test activities and rehearsals as the mission planning technical lead, ensuring planning products are verified and validated through simulation, rehearsal, and review processes.
• Mentor and guide junior mission planning engineers and operations team mission planners on planning processes and best practices.
• Support real-time mission operations as an on-console mission planner during launch and early orbit phase and other critical mission events as needed.
• Represent mission planning in cross-functional forums and design reviews.

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.
• Paid Time Off: 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: Mid Level