Spacecraft Data Systems Engineer - Blue Ring

BLUE ORIGIN • Los Angeles, CA

2d • $133,500 - $203,263

About The Position

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. We are a talented team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth. As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will ensure our spacecraft satisfies the needs of our critical partners, and crafts the larger vehicle and ground data architectures to enable us to successfully implement the required capabilities for our mission. As the Spacecraft Data Systems Engineer, you will provide the technical glue connecting data from our flight software to the systems functions to our ground operations and test engineering. You will help ensure the program requirements, operational descriptions, and system designs have been shaped so that they overall system meets our customers’ needs. You will be responsible for interpreting functional description documents, and existing command and telemetry definitions to create an overall data and data handling architecture for the Blue Ring satellites. You will help guide the data format, streams, and storage development and testing, resulting in the verification of a complete spacecraft solution. To accomplish this, you will work closely with our spacecraft development engineers, flight software developers, spaceflight operations organization, and test engineering to implement all use cases for the data architecture. This role will encompass detailing the data architecture, developing our standards and processes, and ensuring sufficiency in our data products. This position demands a systems-thinking approach, requiring a comprehensive understanding of the architectural and design elements of interconnected systems. Your responsibilities will include aligning our data interfaces and interactions to meet the needs of these systems effectively. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Requirements

• B.S. degree in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, applied mathematics, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in spacecraft development and operations
• Proven experience in developing and managing Command & Telemetry Databases (CTDB) with proficiency in spacecraft telemetry, data management, and command sequencing.
• Familiarity with spacecraft flight software design and architecture.
• Experience with CCSDS standards, including command and telemetry formats.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, JavaScript, C, or C++, with a proven background in software development and automation for data solutions.
• Automate data processes and deployment of data products for testing and operational readiness on flight hardware
• Experience with Command and Control (C2) or Flight Software (FSW) software tools.
• Ability to engage effectively with various teams like Integration & Test, Ground & Spaceflight Operations, and Systems Engineering to integrate data sets and parameter information files.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and modern software development practices.
• Proficiency in the application of AI and machine learning techniques to improve data processing capabilities
• Experience with data governance, standard methodologies for security, and compliance.
• CCSDS experience, understanding the full OSI stack and where items fit in across the application and data layers.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex data and software architecture concepts to IPT leads, executives, and customers, resulting in clear understanding of the issues that lead to decisions.
• Domain expertise of spacecraft system and subsystem functions, interfaces, and communication protocols (i.e. serial, 1553, Ethernet, embedded software, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience debugging and identifying root cause at the hardware/software boundary.
• Experience using hardware testbeds and lab environments for software and system verification.
• An understanding of cloud infrastructure for data deployment and orchestration.
• Jira, gitlab, CI/CD pipelines.
• Active TS/SCI

Responsibilities

• Lead the Command and Telemetry Database and the Parameter Database development, as well as define file management and onboard data storage.
• Manage data for uplink to the spacecraft, onboard command sequences, data transfer, telemetry downlink, and data prioritization within the spacecraft flight software and memory management devices.
• Define data architecture strategies that differentiate data placement between CTDB and Parameter data
• Develop a roadmap for constructing scalable and robust data architecture strategies tailored for managing telemetry and command data across a fleet of vehicles. This includes anticipating future needs, different payloads and missions, etc.
• Shape all areas of the program, including the payload, spacecraft, developing sophisticated techniques, processes, and criteria to enable effective data management and data handling architecture.

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)
• 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