Mk1 Mission CONOPS Lead

Blue Origin • Space Coast, WA

3d

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. At Blue Origin, we are building a road to space so our children can build the future. The Lunar Permanence team is delivering the Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lander — a single‑launch, cryogenically‑fueled vehicle capable of delivering large payloads to the lunar surface. MK1‑102 is the mission that will deliver NASA's VIPER rover to the lunar South Pole region. We are looking for a Mission Lead to own the end‑to‑end definition and validation of the MK1‑102 mission Concept of Operations (CONOPS) across all mission phases — from launch and cruise through lunar transit, descent and landing, and surface delivery operations. The Mission Lead works closely with Lead Systems Engineers, Mission Operations, and Functional/Performance Responsible Engineers to define mission activities, develop detailed timelines, run trade studies, define mission constraints, mitigate risks, and facilitating test plans and analysis scenarios. You will use in-house Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and performance analysis tools to assess the CONOPS and performance margins on a technical level.

Requirements

• B.S. in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field.
• 6+ years of relevant experience for the Senior level; equivalent depth at L3, L4 or Principal will be evaluated accordingly.
• Demonstrated experience defining and/or validating space mission CONOPS across multiple mission phases.
• Working knowledge of staging behavior and lunar mission dynamics (transit, orbit, descent/landing, surface operations).
• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal/communication skills — able to align Mission Ops, REs, and the Lead SE around a common mission definition.
• Ability to define technical resource margins and lead/own technical risk.

Nice To Haves

• M.S. or higher in a relevant engineering or physics discipline.
• Direct experience on a lunar or cryogenic flight program (lander, upper stage, or in‑space cryogenic system).
• Hands‑on experience with model‑based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and methods.
• Experience building and championing adoption of an MBSE/mission‑model toolset within an organization.
• Experience leading trade studies and supporting a Lead Systems Engineer or Chief Engineer.
• Familiarity with NASA mission integration and payload‑delivery interfaces (e.g., CLPS‑class / VIPER‑class payloads).

Responsibilities

• Own the end‑to‑end definition of the MK1‑102 mission CONOPS across all phases (launch, cruise/transit, lunar orbit operations, powered descent & landing, and surface operations)
• Lead validation of the CONOPS through analysis, simulation, and test, ensuring operational scenarios are feasible, verifiable, and traceable to mission requirements.
• Define and manage mission timelines, operational constraints, and technical resource margins (e.g., propellant/cryogenic boil‑off, power, thermal, comms windows, timeline slack) across all phases.
• Owner of Mission L2 requirement and mission level success tree.
• Take ownership of the MK1 Mission Model; working closely with modeling lead to guide further development of the modelling capability across the program.
• Identify, characterize, and drive closure of mission‑level risks , including phase transitions and critical events (e.g., RPOD, landing).
• Define, inform, and selectively lead trade studies in support of the Lead Systems Engineer , framing alternatives, criteria, and recommendations, as they apply to the CONOPS.
• Partner closely with Mission Operations and Functional/Performance/Autonomy Responsible Engineers to ensure the as‑designed mission and the as‑operated mission stay aligned.
• Support gated and operational‑readiness reviews (e.g., Mission Operations Review, Operations Readiness Review, Flight Readiness Review) with authoritative mission‑level technical input.

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)
• 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: Senior