Sr. Solid-State Power Amplifier (SSPA) Responsible Engineer - Lunar Permanence

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!  

This role is part of the Lunar Permanence business unit. To further Blue Origin's mission of having millions of people living and working in space, we are building the sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the Lunar Surface.

As part of a hardworking team of diverse specialists, technicians, and engineers, you will serve as the Box Responsible Engineer (RE) for our solid-state power amplifier products supporting lunar communication systems. You will own the SSPA as an integrated product — not a single card — leading a team of card-level Responsible Engineers across RF, power supply, and control/digital domains. You are accountable for the box from requirements definition through design, integration, validation, qualification, and flight support.

This is a highly collaborative and technical leadership role. Success requires an engineer who is comfortable operating across disciplines: someone who understands how amplifiers work, but who is equally fluent discussing DC-DC converter topologies with the power supply RE, telemetry and command interfaces with the control card RE, and firmware architecture with the software team. You will be the technical integrator and single point of accountability for the SSPA.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Serve as the Box Responsible Engineer for solid-state power amplifier assemblies, owning box-level architecture, requirements decomposition, interfaces, budgets (power, thermal, mass, RF performance), and verification.
• Provide technical leadership to card-level REs spanning RF/power amplifier cards, power conditioning and supply cards, and control/digital cards, plus embedded software developers — driving schedule, technical decisions, and design maturity across the team.
• Flow down system-level communication requirements to card-level specifications; negotiate and control internal and external interfaces (ICDs) and resolve cross-card technical trades.
• Lead box-level design reviews, trade studies, and risk management; make and defend architecture decisions balancing RF performance, efficiency, thermal, mass, reliability, and cost.
• Own the SSPA integration and test campaign: develop test plans and procedures, lead bench bring-up and debug, direct environmental and qualification testing, and disposition anomalies and nonconformances.
• Define and execute box-level validation and verification, including RF performance characterization (output power, gain, efficiency, linearity, spurious/harmonics, phase noise), power supply and load transient behavior, grounding, thermal performance, multipaction, EMI/EMC, and command/telemetry functional testing.
• Partition functionality across RF, analog, digital, and software domains in coordination with system architects, RF engineers, modem/DSP, and ASIC/FPGA engineers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including systems engineering, mission planning, thermal, mechanical, structures, harness, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to ensure the box is designed for integration, test, and production.
• Support supplier and vendor technical management for procured cards, modules, and components as needed.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to building a high-performance, multidisciplinary hardware team.
• Prepare and present technical reports, design review packages, and project status updates to stakeholders and leadership.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience developing RF/microwave hardware
• Demonstrated working knowledge across multiple hardware domains beyond RF, specifically including:
  • Power supply and power conditioning design (DC-DC converter topologies, EMI filtering, regulation, protection, load transients, efficiency)
  • Control/digital card design (microcontroller or FPGA-based control, telemetry and command interfaces, ADC/DAC, serial buses such as SPI, I2C, RS-422/485,)
  • Embedded software/firmware development and the hardware-software interface
• Experience as a box, assembly, or product-level Responsible Engineer (or equivalent technical lead role) with accountability for an integrated multi-card unit through integration and test.
• Experience with space-grade or high-reliability RF hardware, including radiation-tolerant and radiation-hardened component selection and derating practices.
• Hands-on experience with RF and electrical test equipment (network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes, electronic loads) and box-level test automation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex hardware development projects from concept through production.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to understand and address multidisciplinary challenges.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with a track record of successfully leading and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.
• 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:

• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in electrical engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with SSPAs for space, aviation, defense, or satellite communication applications, including EPC (Electronic Power Conditioner) integration.
• Familiarity with RF simulation and design tools (ADS, HFSS, CST, Microwave Office) and circuit/power simulation tools (SPICE, PLECS, Simulink).
• Knowledge of digital communication systems, spread spectrum, single and multi-carrier techniques, and modulation types such as PSK, APSK, and QAM, and their implications for amplifier linearity and backoff.
• Understanding of thermal and radiation effects on RF and power electronics in space environments; experience with thermal design of high-power RF assemblies.
• Familiarity with lunar and deep space communication standards and protocols (e.g., CCSDS, DSN/LunaNet compatibility).
• Experience with reliability analyses such as FMEA, worst-case circuit analysis, derating, and parts stress analysis.
• Experience with EMI/EMC design and qualification to standards such as MIL-STD-461.
• Familiarity with configuration management, requirements management, and PLM tools.

Base Pay 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 (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, 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.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• 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.