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.
Systems Engineer III (RF/Microwave Systems)
Blue National Security | Special Programs | Mission Engineering & Architecture
The role is part of the Blue National Security business unit, which is focused on delivering advanced space-based capabilities in support of national security missions. Within the Special Programs organization, this team operates at the forefront of mission engineering and architecture, developing next-generation space systems that address the most demanding and consequential challenges in the defense domain.
Special Mentions
Relocation assistance is available for this position
Travel expectation: up to 10%
This is an individual contributor role
An active TS//SCI security clearance is required prior to start
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Develop and maintain system-level requirements for advanced space-based sensing systems, ensuring traceability from mission objectives through subsystem specifications
Conduct system architecture trade studies and analyses to evaluate design alternatives, performance margins, and technical feasibility
Author and review key systems engineering artifacts including Concepts of Operations (CONOPs), System Requirements Documents (SRDs), Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and Systems Engineering Management Plans (SEMPs)
Collaborate with cross-functional teams including payload, spacecraft, ground systems, and mission operations to ensure end-to-end system coherence
Support design reviews and provide technical inputs to R&D program milestones
Perform link budget analyses and RF system performance assessments relevant to space-based sensing architectures
Study the design, analyze, and optimize UHF-band antenna systems , including aperture sizing, beam pattern characterization, polarization, and gain/noise performance in the space environment
Evaluate antenna integration trades including deployable structures, phased array configurations, and feed network design at UHF frequencies
Engage with government customers and mission partners to understand operational needs and translate them into actionable system requirements
Support risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical performance measurement (TPM) tracking throughout the program lifecycle
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline
5+ years of experience in systems engineering within the aerospace, defense, or national security domain
Demonstrated experience with UHF-band antenna design , including analysis of antenna performance parameters (gain, beamwidth, polarization, impedance matching) in space or airborne environments
Experience with phased array antenna systems, including electronically steered arrays (ESAs) at UHF frequencies
Proficiency in RF system performance analysis, including link budgets and system noise figure calculations
Experience developing and managing system-level requirements using requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, or equivalent)
Familiarity with systems engineering processes and standards (e.g., NASA/DoD SE frameworks, MIL-STD-499, or…