MK2 Vehicle Engineering Principal Systems Engineer

BLUE ORIGIN • West Melbourne, WA

1d • $160,618 - $237,473

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. We are seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to lead system definition, technical integration, and verification execution for the MK2 Crew Lunar Lander. This role drives disciplined end-to-end systems engineering for a crewed lunar landing vehicle, spanning architecture trades, requirements/ICDs, hazard and fault management, and verification closure through integrated vehicle testing and mission readiness. You will serve as a senior technical integrator across propulsion, GN&C, avionics, comms, power, thermal, structures, software, and crew systems, ensuring the lander meets performance, safety, human-rating, and mission objectives in the lunar environment.

Requirements

• Education: B.S. in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or related engineering discipline (M.S. preferred).
• Experience: 10+ years in systems engineering with significant responsibility on complex flight vehicles; experience leading integration and verification is required.
• Demonstrated ownership of system requirements, ICDs, and verification closure through test and review milestones.
• Strong breadth across spacecraft/lander subsystems (propulsion, GN&C, avionics, comms, power, thermal, structures, mechanisms, software).
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and make high-quality trade decisions under schedule pressure.
• Systems thinking and disciplined engineering judgment
• Requirements craftsmanship (testable, unambiguous, traceable)
• Interface rigor and integration leadership
• Structured risk management and technical communication to executives/customers
• Bias toward data, closure, and end-to-end accountability

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience on crewed spacecraft and/or human-rated systems (hazards, fault tolerance, operational mitigations, stringent verification).
• Experience with lunar missions/environments (dust, lighting extremes, thermal transients, surface operations constraints).
• Experience with cryogenic propulsion systems, integrated propellant management, and propulsion system verification.
• Tool proficiency: requirements management (e.g., Jama), Workflow (e.g., Jira), and configuration management practices.
• Experience supporting integrated vehicle test campaigns and flight/mission readiness processes.

Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Mission Integration Lead lander-level architecture trades and system budgets (mass, power, thermal, propellant, delta-V, comms link, pointing, timeline/ops).
• Develop and maintain vehicle-level CONOPS for crewed lunar descent/ascent, surface operations, and rendezvous/docking phases (as applicable).
• Define and manage system-level margins, performance closure, and technical decision records.
• Requirements, Interfaces, and Configuration Management Own system requirements decomposition, allocation, and traceability (mission → vehicle → subsystem → component).
• Develop and manage ICDs and interface verification for:Launch vehicle and ground processing/transportationCrew and mission systems (e.g., docking/transfer interfaces where applicable)Ground segment and mission operationsTest equipment and GSE
• Drive technical baseline management, change control (CCB), and requirements quality (clear, verifiable, traceable).
• Human-Rating, Safety, and Fault Management Lead system-level hazard identification/closure, fault tolerance strategy, redundancy, and safe-mode/contingency design for a crewed vehicle.
• Guide FMEA/FMECA, FHA/SSHA support, and integrated fault management (FDIR) requirements across avionics, propulsion, and software.
• Ensure design and verification approach supports human-rating expectations (including rigorous verification evidence and operational controls).
• Verification & Validation (V&V) and Test Execution Own or co-own the lander verification plan, verification matrix, and compliance evidence strategy.
• Define integrated test strategy and success criteria across component, subsystem, and vehicle levels including:Propulsion testing (including cryogenic operations as applicable), pressurization, leak checksGN&C closed-loop testing / HILEMI/EMC, environmental tests (vibe/shock), thermal balance/TVACEnd-to-end mission simulations and mission readiness activities
• Lead anomaly triage and root-cause/corrective action closure with cross-functional teams.
• Cross-Functional Technical Leadership Chair/lead integration forums; resolve subsystem-to-system technical conflicts and drive closure.
• Mentor engineers and elevate systems engineering rigor (requirements, interface discipline, verification thinking, review readiness).
• Support major technical reviews and customer-facing milestones (SRR/PDR/CDR/TRR/FRR) with clear, data-backed messaging.

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.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.
• Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation.

What This Job Offers

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