Senior Mission Systems Engineer - Blue Ring

Blue Origin•Littleton, CO

About The Position

This role is part of Blue National Security (BNS), which designs, develops, and delivers launch and spacecraft systems for national security missions. The position supports Blue Origin’s Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), a relay communications infrastructure intended to provide reliable, high-availability data services between Mars-based users and Earth for NASA civil exploration and science objectives. MTN provides relay services to orbiters, landers, rovers, and future crewed assets through an integrated end-to-end ground system. As part of a small Mission Systems Engineering team, the Senior Mission Systems Engineer works with spacecraft, mission operations, and ground system teams to define and mature the integrated ground system and mission operations capability enabling MTN relay services. The engineer leads requirements, verification and validation, and interface definition efforts to ensure the ground and operations architecture meets mission objectives across significant light-time delays and long-duration operations. The role contributes to mission systems engineering and the tools used to operate deep space communications infrastructure.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
At least 8 years of experience in one or more of the following: ground systems architecture for spaceflight operations; spacecraft operations, including command and control, mission planning, or flight dynamics; requirements definition, verification, and validation of complex systems; or implementation of CCSDS communications protocols and standards.
Experience across a complex system lifecycle, including requirements definition, design solution definition, implementation, integration, verification, validation, qualification, and operations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals, U.S. permanent residents, or lawfully admitted to the U.S. as refugees or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

Experience with requirements management and traceability, preferably using DOORS Next Generation (DNG).
Experience developing and maintaining interface control documents (ICDs) for complex systems.
Experience with NASA civil space programs and/or integrating U.S. Government agency missions, such as NASA or JPL.
Experience conducting end-to-end testing of large, complex systems.
Familiarity with DTN, delay/disruption-tolerant architectures, or deep space operations concepts.
Experience designing or operating spacecraft instruments and payloads.
Experience developing, deploying, and maintaining software in a cloud computing environment such as AWS or Azure.
Proficiency in programming languages such as Python.
Experience with collaboration tools such as Confluence and JIRA.
Familiarity with version control, preferably Git.
Experience with configuration and product data management tools.

Responsibilities

Identify, derive, develop, and maintain mission systems requirements, including traceability and verification and validation approaches, to implement designs that meet mission objectives.
Define and maintain ground element and external interface requirements and interface control documents (ICDs), including user- and payload-facing interfaces.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams representing flight vehicle systems, ground software, mission operations, and payload and user customers.
Define ground system and mission operations architectures that enable effective, labor-efficient real-time and store-and-forward spacecraft and ground system operations.
Plan and perform mission system product update cycles, integration and test activities, and validation exercises leading to operations training events and mission readiness.
Test ground system functionality and measure performance against requirements.
Perform flight software-to-ground system integration and testing.
Analyze operability across the space-ground system and support improvements where justified.
Ensure mission system requirements and interfaces align with applicable NASA and interoperability standards, such as CCSDS, for civil deep space missions.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Basic and supplemental life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Short- and long-term disability.
401(k) with company match of up to 5%.
Education Support Program.
Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week.
Up to four weeks of paid time off 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.