Civil and Interplanetary Navigation Architect

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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.

As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will provide leadership across organizations, working end-to-end across payload, vehicle, and ground elements to create space navigation solutions. The Civil and Interplanetary Navigation Architect is responsible for formulating interplanetary navigation strategies for In-Space Systems and the Blue Ring product line. You will also be a primary participant in trade studies and proposal development for civil government customers as well as private entities pursuing Earth and interplanetary science missions. You will interface with civil-space stakeholders for space navigation related topics, including coordination of capability roadmaps, development of mission level requirements, as well as implementation and test activities. You will provide subject matter expertise on ground-based deep-space orbit determination of our vehicle during algorithm development as well as flight operations.

We're looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to join our team and positively impact the future of space. Passion for our mission and vision is required. Successful candidates will have a technical background, be detail driven, and have excellent problem-solving abilities. You should be passionate about delivering extensible, timely solutions while contributing to the development of high-performance teams through meticulous goal-setting, disciplined attention to performance metrics, and continuous process improvement.

If you're excited by providing near-term value, solving novel problems, learning about interesting topics, and completing challenging activities, please apply!

Special Mentions:

• Relocation assistance provided
• Travel expected: less than 15%

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with customers, stakeholders, systems engineering, architecture, hardware, and software teams to ensure cross-functional deliverables are identified and tracked
• Authorship of proposal documents targeting civil government customers as well as private entities pursuing Earth and interplanetary science missions
• Coordinate with Astrodynamics and Trajectory Execution (ATX) to perform detailed trade studies for capture analysis as well as interplanetary trajectory execution
• Establish goals and metrics to identify opportunities to deliver customer solutions to cost, performance, and schedule requirements
• Assess interplanetary navigation and radiometric orbit determination performance against current and future mission scenarios to align with company needs
• Inform interplanetary navigation performance, risk, and operations for scheduled missions, including ConOps development and ground systems feasibility
• Lead the development of cislunar and Mars-centric position, navigation, and timing (PNT) constellation architectures, including requirements definition, trade studies, and roadmap planning
• Mentor and train across the program to ensure approach, philosophy, and technology are understood and implemented so they provide required capabilities and value to our customers
• Support the navigation process during live mission operations, performing orbital estimation, maneuver planning, and maneuver execution

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. in Aerospace, Software, Electrical, Mechanical, Physics, Systems Engineering, or related technical subject area
• 10+ years of technical experience developing space mission design and navigation systems
• 10+ years of technical experience in the space navigation domain, including satellite navigation, statistical orbit determination, orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, and trajectory optimization
• Strong background developing space navigation CONOPs, requirements, and interface description documents to flow to element level teams
• Demonstrated experience throughout mission design lifecycle from conceptualization through operational flight
• Applied experience in navigation tools such as Monte, STK/ODTK, FreeFlyer, or GMAT
• Experience developing high-level plans for end-to-end integrated system tests occurring throughout a program's lifecycle
• Outstanding customer relationship skills including the ability to discover the requirements underlying feature requests, recommend alternative technical and business approaches, and lead engineering efforts to meet ambitious timelines with optimal solutions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Aerospace, Software, Electrical, Mechanical, Physics, Systems Engineering, or related technical subject area
• 15+ years of proven experience focused on mission design and navigation
• Multiple spacecraft missions of operational ground navigation support and/or leadership
• Applied expertise in ground-based satellite navigation and statistical orbit determination processes, including radiometric and GPS
• Experience using the Monte software package
• Experience with electric propulsion satellite missions and/or GPS commercial satellite missions
• Experience with space-based atomic clocks and their application to precision navigation and timing systems
• Experience designing, analyzing, or operating position, navigation, and timing (PNT) constellations in Earth, cislunar, or deep space environments
• Active Top Secret Clearance

 

Compensation Range for:

CA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20 CO applicants is $133,500.00 - $186,898.95 WA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check

• Required for Certain Job Profiles:  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation

• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include:  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. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.

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