Sr. RF Communications Systems Engineer – Ground Segment

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!  

This role is part of Blue National Security (BNS), where our focus is the design, development, and delivery of launch and spacecraft systems for national security missions. Through Blue Ring, our all-in-one, high-powered hybrid solar-electric and chemical-propelled spacecraft, we provide unmatched mission maneuverability, versatility, and capacity at dramatically lower-profile costs.

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 diverse team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This position will report to the Blue National Security Ground Data Systems Manager. 

As a Sr. RF Communications Systems Engineer, you will work closely with an accomplished team of Ground System, Software, Mission Systems and Flight Operations Engineers. You will lead and perform RF/Communications development, testing and deployment tasks across space and ground boundaries, through the full system lifecycle of vehicles spanning National Security, Civil, and Commercial missions. You will be responsible for building and maintaining strategic technical capabilities crucial to the space-to-ground operations of spacecraft with diverse concepts of operations across a variety of orbits and ground station providers. The ideal candidate is someone who brings creative ideas, along with the persistence and passion to build a program. You will enjoy a fast-paced dynamic environment, contributing to innovative solutions, while demonstrating personal leadership, technical competence, and attention to detail.

We are looking for someone to apply their vision, passion, technical expertise, leadership skills, and dedication to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. 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
• Travel expected up to 25% of the time

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Identify, derive, develop, and maintain Ground Data Systems requirements, including traceability and verification and validation approaches

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including engineers representing flight vehicle systems, ground software, Integration & Test, and external vendors & ground station providers

• Define the ground data system and communications architectures across a diverse set of mission requirements and customer requirements

• Define and maintain ground data system interface requirements and control documents, for example Space Vehicle to Ground Network interfaces or Mission Control to Ground Network interfaces

• Plan, perform and document requirement verification and validation for Ground Data Systems

• Plan and perform frequent Ground Data Systems product update cycles, integration and test activities, and validation exercises leading to production software releases, operations training events and flight

• Support initiatives to improve Mission Systems and Flight Operations engineering and other functional processes and tools

• Perform analysis to ensure operability across the Space-Ground System, and support efforts to improve operability where justified

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, physics, or related technical field

• 10+ years of technical experience developing Space-to-Ground Communications systems and their ground systems, including RF Communications, Ground Data Systems Architecture, Software Design and Development, and Spacecraft telemetry, commanding, and sequencing

• 10+ years of technical experience working across the complete CCSDS OSI stack, including but not limited to communications theory, frequency and bandwidth selection, modulation, encoding, data link layer protocols, transport protocols (e.g., CCSDS Bundle Protocol, Licklider Transmission Protocol), application protocol and packet definition (file transfer, commanding, telemetry, command assurance), encryption, and communications security

• Strong experience developing communications link budgets to predict link closure, link quality, and effective data rates; ability to identify and manage risks against system performance

• Strong experience integrating commercial or civil ground stations and networks, including the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN)

• Experience in space communication systems, particularly those geared towards Lunar, CisLunar, or deep-space missions

• Proficient with communication standards and protocols including modulation formats, channel coding, and advanced waveforms (e.g., DVB-S2/X, Ka/S/X bands, spread spectrum, etc.)

• Strong experience with radiometric ranging (two-way, sequential, PN, regenerative), Doppler, or Delta Differential One-Way Ranging (Delta-DOR) systems

• Capable of creating and understanding Satellite Tool Kit (STK) simulations with RF link analysis reports

• Extensive experience with instrumentation and Hardware and Software based Ground Modems (e.g., Amergint, Kratos) using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes

• Experience in a complex system lifecycle – requirement definition, design solution definition, implementation, integration, verification, validation, qualification, commissioning and/or operations

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment

• Ability to travel in support of test and flight operations

• 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 aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, physics, or related technical field

• Experience with RF spectrum licensing

• First principles knowledge of all major spacecraft subsystems including Avionics, TT&C, and/or RF Payloads

• Experience with Optical communication and Ground Optical Terminals.

• Experience with requirements definition and management, preferably using DOORS Next Generation

• Operational fault management including familiarity with system safety analysis techniques including Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA), Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)

• Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, and other project management software tools

• Familiarity with version control, preferably Git

• Experience with configuration and product data management tools, preferably Windchill

• Experience working with and proposin