Systems Engineer III - Directed Energy Systems

BLUE ORIGIN • Village of Walton, WA

4d

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! 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. This role reports to the Special Programs team within the Blue National Security BU’s Mission Engineering & Architecture org. Within Special Programs, Blue Origin's Directed Energy Systems team is focused on the development and demonstration of a directed energy system. As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will apply broad multi-disciplinary systems engineering knowledge to advance a ground-to-space directed energy capability from concept through demonstration. You will support requirements definition, architecture development, and verification planning for a system that integrates directed energy sources, orbital satellites, and precision execution sequences. The position operates on an accelerated development timeline and requires someone who thrives in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment. The position requires strong collaboration within the systems engineering team and across all program interfaces including directed energy sources, space vehicle, simulation, ground operations, and customer stakeholders. Special Mentions: Travel expected up to 20% — demonstration site support required Active Top Secret clearance desired (or) ability to Re-Activate; TS/SCI preferred Experience with system and ground support development desired; specifically with directed energy or space systems preferred

Requirements

• B.S. in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Optical, or Systems Engineering or equivalent technical field
• 5+ years of systems engineering experience in the defense or space industry
• Demonstrated experience across multiple system lifecycle phases — requirements, design, integration, and test
• Experience developing integrated systems with depth in one or more of the following: power systems, laser or optical systems, satellite systems, and precision pointing and control.
• Experience developing and integrating ground support equipment.
• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering tools and simulation-based verification approaches
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

• M.S. in a relevant technical field
• Active TS/SCI security clearance
• Experience with directed energy systems, space-relay architectures, or ground-to-space optical systems
• Experience with atmospheric propagation, adaptive optics, or beam control
• Experience with hardware or software testbeds for system-level verification
• Experience defining and executing complex trade studies in high-uncertainty environments
• Demonstrated ability to deliver on accelerated development schedules with minimal rework

Responsibilities

• Architecture & Requirements Support the Lead Systems Engineer in defining and maintaining system architecture for a ground-relay directed energy demonstration system
• Decompose top-level capability requirements into subsystem-level design requirements spanning directed energy sources, satellite systems, ground stations, and precision pointing and control
• Develop and maintain interface definitions between directed energy sources, space, control systems, and sensor elements
• Develop and maintain CONOPs for demonstration scenarios
• Verification & Demonstration Lead development of system-level verification and validation plans aligned to the demonstration milestone
• Create and oversee test plans, procedures, and results reports for integrated system performance verification
• Support hardware-in-the-loop and simulation-based verification activities using associated modeling environments
• Support integration activities on the floor and at demonstration sites
• Cross-Functional Coordination Coordinate with directed energy source, optical, satellite, and precision control subsystem teams to ensure interface consistency and requirement compliance
• Collaborate with the simulation team to translate architecture trades into testable system requirements and verification events
• Develop demonstration execution plans and contingency procedures
• Identify and track technical, schedule, and cost risks with a bias toward early closure
• Program Support Participate in gated program reviews and drive actions to closure with urgency appropriate to an accelerated demonstration schedule
• Support customer interactions with clear, technically credible briefings and documentation
• Assist with proposal efforts based on demonstrated system capability and architecture knowledge

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.
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.
• Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level