Director, Software & Autonomous Ground Systems

Overview

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 supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

We are looking for a highly skilled, experienced, and motivated engineering leader to help us build software that enables safe human spaceflight. You will lead the team applying the concepts of traditional software that is AI inspired with a background in autonomy and advanced control to ensure the department meets the performance standards and software deliveries on schedule to support our launch cadence.

This will include leading the development of our full cycle software design processes to improve the team’s efficiency at delivering our codes for test and flight operations.

As part of the Ground Autonomy group, you will support development of autonomous operations applied during critical launch operations spanning hour and seconds before launch. You should be comfortable in working in an ambiguous environment, contributing to innovative solutions using AI, while demonstrating individual leadership, technical competence, and attention to detail. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and detailed attention toward safe and repeatable spaceflight.

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

• Enable the team to build high quality control software by coaching them on best practices, removing obstacles, and ensuring the solutions being delivered are scalable and extensible
• Partner with the product and project management teams to define the roadmap for the Autonomy team, both short term and long term
• Recruit, hire, mentor, and grow the engineers on your team
• Lead a cross-functional technical team to mature technologies, innovate to reach breakthroughs, and accomplish specific objectives for adding new technologies, such as AI, into key development programs
• Lead the software direction through clear project priorities and operations/use case clarifications
• Coordinate with ground operators and subsystem designers to understand system coupling, constraints, and other design considerations
• Support software verification efforts, including HIL qualification test programs
• Travel – This role will require monthly travel between Kent and our Florida location for the first year, tapering off after that

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering discipline such as aerospace, electrical, mechanical, or chemical. Experience in leveraging AI and Large Language Models and Agents to accelerate software production and deployment.
• 10+ years of experience focused on development of autonomy for complex processes and/or aerospace autonomy/GNC. Experience in the development of advance process control techniques is a plus.
• Experience in development, implementation, and testing of Autonomy on ground systems that include human machine interfaces
• Experience in test, verification and validation of complex algorithms, simulations, and software
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing lean teams on fast-paced projects
• Demonstrated experience in software development from initial architecture to deployed systems
• Leadership and management experience as well as a history of mentoring
• Highly organized and capable of planning and guiding complex technical work
• Demonstrated ability to perform both theoretical (e.g., modeling, simulation, analysis, design) and applied (implementation, testing, and validation) development of sophisticated algorithms and data processing techniques

Desired Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in aerospace, electrical, mechanical, chemical, or related engineering
• Experience with MATLAB and Simulink
• Experience with PLC/DCS for industrial applications
• Experience with HMI design and alarm management
• Experience with discrete or continuous control systems
• Hands-on experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and test development
• Demonstrated ability to model, simulate, and validate the behavior of sensor and actuator subsystems across multiple domains (e.g. electro-hydraulic, power electronics, aerodynamic, thermodynamic, static and dynamic mechanical)
• Good system engineering and configuration management skills
• Experience with rockets, missiles or other aerospace vehicle systems

Compensation Range

WA applicants is $ - $

Other Site Ranges May Differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired…