Spacecraft Mission Operations Engineer IV

Application close date:

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!  

As a key leader within our mission operations development team, you will shape the strategy, architecture, and execution of Blue Ring’s mission operations from concept through on-orbit activities. You’ll lead teams in developing the processes, procedures, and tools needed for all aspects of spacecraft operations. By collaborating with engineers across the space and ground segments, you will help integrate mission operations with overall system design, ensuring Blue Ring operates reliably and adapts to mission requirements. Your leadership will set the standard for in-space mission operations, supporting new capabilities and a growing range of customer missions.
 
Join us in enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth – passion for our mission is required!

Special Mentions:

• Relocation provided.

• Can work either out of our Kent, WA or Reston, VA offices.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Build mission plans, operational concepts, tools, and processes for efficient spacecraft and ground system operations.
• Lead small teams in developing operations procedures, executables, telemetry displays, and user manuals.
• Ensure work meets quality standards while supporting reuse and backward compatibility.
• Test and validate operations products in various hardware and software simulation environments.
• Work with systems engineering to optimize spacecraft concepts for end-user efficiency and operability.
• Track progress and provide realistic completion forecasts, aiding new business estimates.
• Develop test procedures to confirm end-to-end system capabilities.
• Analyze and select ground stations for efficient communications.
• Coordinate spectrum licensing with regulatory bodies.
• Lead staffing for mission events and ensure personnel certification with the training team.
• Support mission readiness activities like rehearsals and timeline developments.
• Provide leadership during launches and early orbit phases from mission control.
• Monitor spacecraft health, analyze trends, and maintain system configurations.
• Help resolve on-orbit anomalies within the response team.
• Support continuous improvement by implementing lessons learned for future missions.
• Mentor early career engineers to enhance team expertise and capabilities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. in Aerospace, Electrical, Computer Science, Systems, or related fields
• 3+ years of experience leading technical teams.
• 10+ years of validated experience in spacecraft operations development and execution, including real-time support for on-orbit operations in a flight director or comparable leadership role.
• Extensive development of spacecraft operations products, including procedures, telemetry displays, scripts, and other technical documents.
• Experienced in configuration and product data management.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including the ability to make persuasive presentations to external customers at significant achievements reviews.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• M.S. in Space Systems, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Aerospace Engineering

• Proven role in supporting a commercial or government spacecraft operations organization, along with comprehensive insight into their use cases and operational strategies.

• Familiarity with multi-manifest spacecraft missions and crafting operations for hosted or separable payloads.

• Skilled in command-and-control scripting languages, such as Python, SPELL, STOL, or JAS.

• Background in working with virtualized Ground Software (e.g., Command & Control, Mission Planning, Flight Dynamics, Electronic Procedures, Software Simulators).

• Acquaintance with mission planning and contact planning tools.

• Knowledgeable in scrum methodology and agile product development.

• Involvement in the full development lifecycle of space systems’ ground segments.

• Competence in mission analysis, flight planning, and timeline development (tool and analysis).

• Expertise in designing and evaluating operational readiness tests with hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop simulators.

• Familiarity with managing operational faults and anomalies.

• Skill in conducting system safety analyses, including Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA), Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analyses (FMECA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).

Compensation Range for:

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, 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.

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.

• Discretionary bonus: Bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results.

• Eligibility for benefits varies by role type, please check with your recruiter for a comprehensive list of the benefits available for this role.

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, diverse, 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, in which all employees recognize and appreciate the diversity of individual team members. 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, gender, 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 “EEO Is the Law,” 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.

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