Software Engineer, Motion Controls & Manufacturing Automation

BLUE ORIGIN•Seattle, WA

17d•$164,652 - $230,513•Onsite

About The Position

This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities. We are seeking a Software Engineer to design, build, and control custom manufacturing hardware supporting Blue Origin's advanced metal additive manufacturing processes — including the design and development of custom machine tools and its motion control system. This is a hands-on role spanning software architecture, embedded systems, motion control, and CAD/CAM integration, all in service of enabling reliable, repeatable, and scalable manufacturing for safe human spaceflight. You'll work at the intersection of machine design, controls, and software — writing the code that drives physical hardware to produce precision geometry, while also building the broader data and automation infrastructure that connects machine-level execution to facility-level manufacturing decisions.

Requirements

BS in Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
5+ years of industry experience in C++ software development, ideally with exposure to motion control, robotics, or CNC/additive manufacturing systems
Experience designing or integrating motion control hardware (servo/stepper drives, motion controllers, encoders) for custom machines
Experience programming data acquisition and control systems. interfacing with industrial hardware (PLCs, NI hardware, or similar)
Strong systems-level thinking — able to bridge mechanical/electrical hardware design with software architecture
Strong collaboration skills in a multi-disciplinary, multi-developer environment

Nice To Haves

Experience with toolpath and trajectory generation
8+ years of experience in aerospace, robotics, or advanced manufacturing
Hands-on experience building custom machines/hardware from concept through commissioning
Experience with additive manufacturing processes (metal AM, DED, etc.)
Proficiency in Python and/or LabVIEW for test/automation tooling
Demonstrated experience integrating AI/LLMs into engineering workflows
Interfacing with industrial hardware (PLCs, NI hardware, or similar)
Experience with geometry/path generation for machine motion (toolpathing, slicing, or similar)
Working knowledge of CAD/CAM software integration (COTS and/or custom tools)

Responsibilities

Develop C++ software for 2D/3D path/geometry generation to drive machine motion and produce target part geometry
Design, build, and integrate the motion control system for a custom metal 3D printer machine, including electromechanical subsystem selection, wiring, and software-driven control
Develop software to control manufacturing processes at both the machine level (real-time motion, sensing, actuation) and facility level (workflow orchestration, data routing)
Architect and implement embedded system software for data acquisition and control hardware, ensuring reliable, deterministic performance
Build automated data integrations/workflows so manufacturing engineers, design engineers, and facility operators have timely access to relevant process data
Identify and drive opportunities for improved reliability, efficiency, and automation across manufacturing processes — own the technical architecture and roadmap
Identify and close gaps in available manufacturing data to support better engineering and operational decisions
Conduct code reviews and architectural reviews; maintain code quality and documentation standards
Plan and implement unit/integration tests; maintain CI/CD pipelines for manufacturing software