Flight Controls Engineer - Lunar Transportation
Blue Origin
Denver, Colorado
Job Description
Blue Origin is committed to building a future where millions of people live and work in space to benefit Earth. We must return to the Moon permanently, and the Blue Moon Lander enables this goal. Blue Moon is a large, flexible, reusable commercial lander for cargo or crew.
Our Lunar Pathfinder mission will demonstrate the lander’s core capabilities – including the privately funded BE-7 landing engine, precision landing sensors, and integrated power and propulsion architecture – on an early New Glenn flight. The team building this vehicle is rethinking how space systems are designed, with a high-performance architecture, efficient reusability, and rapid design iteration. Join our team and pave the road to a permanent lunar presence!
As part of a hardworking and growing team of diverse lunar spacecraft development engineers, you will join our Flight Controls group within the Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GN&C) section. Your responsibilities will include the development of advanced flight control algorithms, performing analyses and trade studies, verifying subsystem requirements, applying Model Based Development practices to build GN&C flight software, and supporting the full lifecycle of GN&C subsystem design through flight completion.
We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!
Responsibilities:
- Apply innovative techniques to control algorithm development to accomplish sophisticated mission objectives
- Prototype algorithms in MATLAB/Simulink
- Conduct early feasibility studies and definition of subsystem and component trade space
- Perform linear stability analyses using classical and modern approaches
- Collaborate closely with other subsystems and spacecraft systems engineers to support the development of subsystem boundaries, interfaces, and performance
- Define, develop, and implement simulations and tools vital for analysis and verification of subsystem functionalities
- Auto-generate flight software code in a Model Based Development environment
- Perform verification and testing, ensuring the subsystem aligns with its requirements
- Support hardware-in-the-loop testing, system certification, and flight readiness activities
- Assist in real-time flight support during mission operations
Qualifications:
- M.S. degree in Aerospace, Mechatronic, or Electrical engineering or closely related subject areas with at least 2 years of relevant design experience
- Proven experience in GN&C algorithm development specifically for flight and attitude control using classical and modern control methods
- Knowledgeable in frequency domain analysis techniques
- Robust understanding of controller stability derivatives and stability margins with respect to flexible body dynamics, slosh dynamics, and spacecraft dynamics
- Demonstrated experience with control law design for aerospace vehicles
- Familiarity with development of requirements, interfaces, trades and analyses for aerospace GN&C applications
- Understand the relationship between attitude control, vehicle configuration, spacecraft dynamics, actuators, sensors, and automation
- Expertise in MATLAB/Simulink and Model Based Development
- Robust understanding of software and data configuration management techniques and tools
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Highly organized and capable of planning and completing sophisticated technical work
- Ability to perform in a dynamic, fast-paced, and driven work environment
- Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and participate in 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
Desired:
- PhD in Aerospace, Mechatronic, Electrical Engineering or closely related technical subject area
- 7+ years proven experience in development, implementation and testing of GN&C systems for aerospace vehicles
- Demonstrated technical experience through the full lifecycle of system development
- Proficiency in different control law schemes such as PID, Phase-Plane, H-Infinity, Lead and Lag Compensators, Dynamic Inversion, etc...
- Experience with reaction control systems (RCS), cold or hot gas thrusters, thrust vector control (TVC), etc...
- Deep knowledge of astrodynamics, orbital mechanics, attitude kinematics and dynamics
- Experience with spacecraft control system design considerations vital for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD).
- Experience synthesizing and evaluating Monte Carlo simulations, hardware-in-the-loop, and software-in-the-loop testing
- Experience with real-time flight software and Simulink/Embedded Coder
- Experience in spaceflight GN&C hardware, software, operations, and/or ground support
- Experience with performing system safety analyses including Functional Hazard Assessments; Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analyses; and Fault Tree Analysis
- Experience with collaboration tools such as Gitlab, Confluence, and JIRA
Don’t meet every single requirement? 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 a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Compensation range for on site CO applicants is $125,400-$183,920
Compensation range for on site WA applicants is $136,800-$200,640
Compensation range for on site CA applicants is $$136,800-$200,640
Other site ranges may differ
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.
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.
Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Washington Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws.
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
.
Benefits
Employee Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability and 401(k) with up to 5% company match.
Paid Time Off: Provides up to 4 weeks per year, in addition to 14 holidays
Discretionary bonus programs
