Sr. Application Software Engineer – Chassis Tester Software

BLUE ORIGIN • Seattle, WA

1d • $197,529 - $276,540

About The Position

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable. New Glenn is Blue Origin's orbital launch vehicle, and all avionics equipment that flies on it must be verified before it leaves the ground. As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will be a senior technical contributor on the Chassis Tester Software team — the engineers who build the software stack that makes that verification possible. You will work on verification systems and be responsible for requirements, design, implementation, integration and testing of various software components and tools critical for the success of New Glenn’s mission. This is not a test automation role in the traditional sense. You will write Linux instrument drivers, architect hardware-in-the-loop test frameworks, build the operator-facing tools that run on the test floor, and own the automated result-checking infrastructure (Themis) that determines pass/fail for flight-critical hardware. Your software is the last line of defense before hardware ships. At Level 4, you set technical direction, make architectural decisions, and are accountable for the quality and reliability of the entire software stack.

Requirements

• B.S. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Expert-level Python — you write clean, testable, maintainable Python and hold others to the same standard
• Proven experience developing software on Linux — process management, filesystem, systemd, shell scripting
• Experience with the networking stack — socket programming, UDP/TCP telemetry and command transport, packet capture and parsing, network reliability handling and configuration
• Hands-on experience writing hardware interface software — instrument drivers, SCPI/VISA communication, or equivalent embedded/hardware-adjacent development
• Experience with automated test frameworks (pytest or equivalent) including fixture design, parametrization, and structured reporting
• Strong Git workflow discipline — branching strategy, code review, CI integration
• Demonstrated ability to debug across the hardware-software boundary — you are comfortable with a scope or DMM when the driver isn't behaving
• Demonstrated track record of owning a software system end-to-end — from architecture through deployment and long-term maintenance. Established coding standards, review practices, and architectural patterns for the team
• Experience making and defending architectural decisions with cross-functional impact
• Proven ability to lead technical work across a team — setting direction, unblocking others, and driving delivery without being a manager
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or other safety-critical domains where software correctness has real-world consequences

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Ansible or similar infrastructure-as-code / configuration management tools
• Experience building GUI applications in Python (PyQt5/6, PySide, wxPython) or web-based operator interfaces (FastAPI, React, or similar)
• Experience with C++ in an embedded or hardware-interface context
• Familiarity with avionics test environments — EMI, TVAC, pyrotechnic systems, harness verification, automated test equipment checkout
• Experience designing networked test architectures — Ethernet instrument switching, NPC configuration, multi-node test topologies
• Knowledge of acceptance and qualification test processes in an aerospace hardware development lifecycle
• Familiarity with DOORS, Jama, or equivalent aerospace data and requirements management systems
• Experience with Docker or containerized test environments

Responsibilities

• Design and implement production-quality Linux software drivers for test instruments — power supplies, DMMs, oscilloscopes, signal generators, DAQ systems — communicating over SCPI, VISA, serial, USB, and Ethernet
• Own the full driver lifecycle: characterization, implementation, integration testing, and documentation
• Work directly with avionics hardware engineers to understand instrument behavior, define operating envelopes, and validate driver correctness against hardware specs
• Architect and extend automated test execution frameworks and Themis, the team's result-checking framework
• Implement check logic, pass/fail criteria, limit management, and structured report generation for acceptance and qualification test campaigns
• Own and evolve the Platform Integration Layer common framework and its platform integrations
• Design networking architecture for multi-instrument, multi-UUT test configurations
• Build and maintain deployment automation (Ansible-based role architecture) for test system configuration management
• Drive technical debt reduction: decouple legacy behaviors, standardize interfaces, and maintain a clean common codebase
• Design and implement operator-facing applications — GUI tools and/or CLI interfaces — that allow test engineers and technicians to configure, execute, monitor, and review avionics test campaigns
• Prioritize usability, reliability, and clear feedback for non-software users operating in a fast-paced test environment

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