Principal Electro-Optics Engineer – Optical Inter-Satellite Link

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. This role supports Blue National Security, which is pioneering the development, manufacturing, and operation of Blue Ring— a groundbreaking space-mobility platform that unlocks unparalleled access to any orbit and the freedom to maneuver between orbits h Blue Ring, our customers are empowered to go anywhere in cislunar or Earth orbit domains, redefine mission flexibility, and pursue bold new concepts that were once beyond reach.

If you’re energized by the idea of working with a platform capable of enabling missions without compromise, this is your moment to make history with us.

As a Principal Electro-Optics Engineer, you lead electrical architecture and high-speed digital/analog design for Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) terminals supporting a classified beyond LEO mission. This role focuses on the electronics backbone of laser communication systems, including FPGA-based signal processing, high-speed serial interfaces, laser driver and detector readout circuits, pointing-and-tracking (PAT) and timing/synchronization architectures, enabling robust, long-range optical links in deep space environments.

This is a hands‑on technical leadership role for an engineer who can bridge RF/digital design expertise with optical communication system requirements and embedded management controllers to high-speed PCB layout and Layer 2 device integration. This is a hands‑on role for an engineer who has designed and shipped complex electronic products in fast-moving environments and wants to apply that experience to hardware operating at orbital scale, operating within a highly classified program with direct national security impact.

• Lead electrical architecture for OISL terminal electronics, including transmitter/receiver front-ends, laser driver circuits, FPA/Quad detector readout chains, gimbal and FSM controls.
• Design and implement FPGA-based signal processing for optical communication functions: forward error correction (FEC), framing/deframing, clock and data recovery (CDR), data frame recovery, LDPC, and modem control logic.
• Architect high-speed digital interfaces (Ser Des, JESD
  204B/C, LVDS, PCIe) between FPGAs, ADCs/DACs, and optical front-end electronics.
• Develop timing and synchronization architectures critical for coherent detection, PAT (pointing/acquisition/tracking) control loops, and inter-satellite link coordination.
• Design high-speed analog and mixed-signal circuits supporting GHz-class data rates, including transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), laser drivers, and RF/optical mixing stages.
• Support radiation-hardened/rad‑tolerant electronics design appropriate for beyond LEO radiation environments (GEO, cislunar, deep space).
• Own signal integrity, power integrity, and EMI/EMC analysis for high-speed board and system-level designs.
• Collaborate with optical engineers, firmware engineers, systems engineers, and flight software teams to ensure end-to-end link performance.
• Lea…