Mission Scientist - Planetary Mission; Space Resources Program

Position: Mission Scientist - Planetary Mission (Space Resources Program)
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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth.

The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

We believe that to preserve our planet, humanity must expand beyond our current limits, venturing into space to explore and harness new energy and material resources. In pursuit of this vision, we invite you to join our Space Resources Program, working alongside Blue Alchemist, Blue Origin’s initiative to enable lunar surface power production and building blocks for humanity from local materials.

The Space Resources Program encompasses multiple projects; in this role, you will contribute across the portfolio, including the current Blue Alchemist effort and future initiatives. We’re dedicated to developing and demonstrating Prospecting and In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. If our mission resonates with you and you are eager to contribute, you could be the perfect addition to our inclusive, open-minded, and forward-thinking  this hands-on leadership role, you will work in a fully in-person capacity primarily at our Los Angeles Space Resources Center of Excellence (SRCE) facility with periodic international travel.

You will serve as the central scientific integrator for a lunar mission connecting business development, instrumentation, data pipelines, and geologic modeling into coherent plans and executed missions. You will own the end-to-end science data processing pipeline and geologic assessment models; define science data quality metrics and acceptance criteria; lead generation and acceptance of science products during mission operations; and coordinate compliant public data releases.

You will work closely with a small science team, collaborating on systems, instruments, software, and mission operations, and engaging external partners to secure funding and amplify impact.

We value self-motivated, hands-on leaders who can find practical solutions to abstract problems. Our teams work in fast-paced cycles of design, analysis, and operations to deliver scalable solutions. We’re looking for someone adaptable, willing to take action, eager to learn, and committed to a highly dedicated and open-minded team of team players working together, all while embracing a culture of safety and quality.

Your creativity, innovative spirit, and ability to navigate changing requirements are crucial.

** Conditions of Employment:
*** Offer and start are contingent upon contract award/funding and required internal approvals. If the contract is not awarded, the role may be paused or canceled.
* ** Location and Travel:
*** Fully in-person role based primarily at our Los Angeles SRCE facility; periodic domestic and international travel expected.
** Key Responsibilities and Core Deliverables
*** Science leadership and strategy  + Define the scientific roadmap across near-term and future phases; align concepts of operations, instrumentation needs, data products, and resource models with mission and business objectives.  + Deliver a documented science plan and roadmap, including review artifacts and action closures.
* Product definition and quality  + Specify the science product suite from raw to higher-level processed products; establish acceptance criteria, quality metrics, and traceability.  + Deliver a product definition and quality plan, configuration-controlled documentation, and review records.
* Data processing pipeline ownership  + Architect, implement, verify, and operate the end-to-end pipeline from instrument…