Sr Principal Architect, System Integration & Test

BLUE ORIGIN • Seattle, WA

1d • $264,103 - $369,744 • Onsite

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! Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide. TeraWave is a satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth, servicing tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations. The TeraWave satellite system is a tightly integrated end-to-end architecture — spanning satellites communicating across multiple RF and optical links with ground terminals and space-based nodes, tied together by a deeply integrated software stack spanning flight, mission operations, network operations, and payload systems. Validating that this full system functions correctly — at every stage from early development through high-rate factory acceptance — is one of the most demanding and consequential challenges in the program. As the Senior Principal Architect for System Integration & Test, you will own the system-level test architecture that validates TeraWave's complete hardware and software system working together. Your scope spans the full program lifecycle — from development and qualification testing through to factory acceptance testing at production scale — with deliberate focus on ensuring test coverage is maintained across all system interfaces, including those between hardware and software domains, across organizational boundaries, and across the RF and optical link layers that define TeraWave's end-to-end communications architecture. This scope explicitly includes ground terminal integration and test, ensuring that the validation of space-to-ground links and ground-side hardware and software is treated as a first-class element of the system-level test program. You will design and establish multiple integrated test facilities that build progressively from link-level testing in isolation through to fully integrated testing environments incorporating satellites alongside emulations of network and mission operations systems. You will work in close partnership with other members of the Chief Systems Architecture group and the broader TeraWave team to ensure test systems are integrated into the program's CI/CD pipelines, enabling continuous, automated validation of the system as both hardware and software evolve. Because TeraWave will iterate rapidly, the test architecture you define must be inherently scalable and designed from the outset to accommodate change — supporting consistent, repeatable verification and validation regardless of the pace of hardware and software development. You will work alongside vehicle and ground hardware integration and test owners to ensure system-level test coverage at the interfaces between domains is complete and unambiguous. You will contribute to defining the team responsible for executing the test architecture you develop, working with payload, satellite, and network organizations to scope the talent and organizational structure needed to bring that architecture to life. Successful candidates will bring deep experience with satellite systems, RF and optical communications links, and the test venues and infrastructure that support validation of both, combined with sufficient familiarity with network communications standards to construct rigorous end-to-end test scenarios in close collaboration with the network engineering organization. If you share our passion for building test systems that give the entire program confidence at every stage of development, thrive in a dynamic startup environment, excel on integrated cross-functional teams, are experienced and skilled in several relevant areas listed below, continuously seek out opportunities to learn and improve, and do not allow title or job description to limit the depth or breadth of your contributions, then we would love to hear from you.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, systems engineering, computer science, or equivalent technical field; master's degree preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in system integration and test for spacecraft, satellite, or complex communications systems, with demonstrated experience owning system-level test architecture across both hardware and software domains.
• Direct experience with satellite systems and the test venues and infrastructure used to validate RF and optical communications links, including link budget validation, end-to-end signal chain testing, and hardware-in-the-loop environments.
• Experience with ground terminal integration and test, including validation of space-to-ground link performance and ground-side hardware and software interfaces.
• Experience defining and executing system-level test programs spanning development, qualification, and acceptance testing phases in a high-rate production or constellation context.
• Familiarity with CI/CD principles and experience integrating hardware and software validation into automated test pipelines.
• Sufficient familiarity with network communications standards and protocols to define and execute end-to-end integration test scenarios in collaboration with network engineering teams.
• Experience sizing, specifying, and initiating procurement of major test infrastructure including anechoic chambers, thermal test systems, RF signal simulators, motion control systems, and hardware-in-the-loop environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work across organizational boundaries, aligning hardware and software teams around shared test standards and interface validation requirements.
• Excellent verbal, written, and graphical communication skills, with the ability to communicate test strategy and results clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.

Nice To Haves

• 15+ years of experience in system integration and test for satellite or complex communications programs, including direct experience on large-scale LEO constellation programs.
• Experience with optical communications link testing including free-space optical (FSO) terminal validation and atmospheric or link emulation approaches.
• Familiarity with FCC-required radiating test processes and the regulatory compliance context surrounding satellite communications systems.
• Familiarity with mission operations and network operations software architectures sufficient to design meaningful emulations and stubs for use in integrated test environments.
• Familiarity with factory acceptance test design for satellite production at scale, including test automation, data management, and anomaly resolution processes.
• Background in software verification and validation for flight or safety-critical systems.
• Leadership or management experience with a demonstrated track record of driving technical alignment across engineering organizations.

Responsibilities

• Own the TeraWave system-level integration and test architecture, defining the test strategy, test facility designs, and validation approach that confirm the complete hardware and software system functions correctly together across all operational scenarios.
• Define and maintain the system-level test architecture across the full program lifecycle — from development and qualification through factory acceptance testing — ensuring consistent test coverage across hardware, software, and interface domains at each stage.
• Design and establish multiple integrated test facilities that build progressively from isolated link-level testing through to fully integrated test environments incorporating satellites and emulations of network and mission operations systems.
• Ensure ground terminal integration and test is treated as a first-class element of the system-level test program, with explicit coverage of space-to-ground link validation and ground-side hardware and software interfaces.
• Collaborate with vehicle and ground hardware integration and test owners to ensure system-level test coverage is maintained across hardware-software interfaces and across organizational boundaries throughout the program.
• Partner with other members of the Chief Systems Architecture group and the broader TeraWave team to integrate system-level tests into the program's CI/CD pipelines, enabling continuous, automated validation as hardware and software evolve.
• Design test systems with scalability and rapid iteration as foundational requirements, ensuring test infrastructure can accommodate changes in both hardware and software through well-established, consistent verification and validation mechanisms.
• Work with payload, satellite bus, and network teams to define acceptance test requirements and procedures that provide high confidence in system-level performance at production cadence.
• Size and initiate procurement of major test infrastructure needs — including anechoic chambers, thermal vacuum and thermal cycling systems, RF signal simulators, motion control systems, hardware-in-the-loop rigs, and link emulation capabilities — ensuring the program has the test assets needed to meet its development and production milestones.
• Collaborate with payload, network, and satellite teams to define test scenarios that exercise end-to-end system behavior across both RF and optical link domains, including link performance, fault response, and operational mode transitions.
• Support FCC-required radiating tests in collaboration with the responsible teams across Blue Origin, contributing system-level test perspective to ensure appropriate coverage and regulatory compliance.
• Contribute to defining the team responsible for executing the test architecture, including input on team structure, required skill sets, and talent selection, working across payload, satellite, and network organizations.
• Engage with the Chief Systems Architecture office to ensure the test architecture is aligned with and reflective of the TeraWave design reference mission and concept of operations.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to integration and test engineers across the organization, contributing to the development of technical capability within the broader TeraWave team.

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: Principal