SLD Manual Control Engineer III, Lunar Permanence

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 diverse team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!  

This role is part of the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s multiple Blue Moon lander product lines. To further Blue Origin's mission of having millions of people living and working in space, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

As part of a diverse and hardworking team of engineers, you will join our Flight Controls team within the Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GN&C) IPT. You will share in the team’s impact on all aspects of the development of manual control laws and flight software for spacecraft from Earth to the Moon! You will also prototype algorithms in Matlab/Simulink, conduct early trade studies for manual control architectures, and closely support flight simulator testing of handling qualities. Expect to be a technical contributor to one or more programs within Lunar Transportation and collaborate closely with other subsystems and spacecraft systems engineers to support the development of subsystem boundaries, interfaces, and technical performance measures. In this capacity, you will be responsible for exemplifying best practices, balanced technical judgment, and superior work ethic.

You will work directly with NASA and our National Team Partners as part of the Human Landing System (HLS) Sustaining Lunar Development (SLD) program. You will play a key role in developing the Lunar Transportation system that will return humans to the Moon and extend human presence permanently beyond the bounds of Earth. 

We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Minimum Qualifications:

• M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering or closely related subject areas with at least 4 years of relevant design experience
• Proven experience in GN&C algorithm development specifically for flight and attitude control using classical and modern control methods
• Experience designing flight control systems for aerospace vehicles with manual control/piloting capability
• Knowledgeable in frequency domain analysis techniques 
• Robust understanding of controller stability derivatives and stability margins with respect to flexible body dynamics, slosh dynamics, and spacecraft dynamics
• Demonstrated experience with control law design for aerospace vehicles
• Familiarity with development of requirements, interfaces, trades and analyses for aerospace GN&C applications
• Robust understanding of software and data configuration management techniques and tools 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Highly organized and capable of planning and completing sophisticated technical work
• Ability to perform in a dynamic, fast-paced, and driven work environment
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and participate in a culture of inclusion
• 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:

• PhD in Aerospace Engineering or closely related technical subject area
• 5+ years proven experience in development, implementation and testing of GN&C systems for aerospace vehicles
• Experience in working with pilots on handling quality assessment
• Strong Simulink/Matlab auto-coding experience
• Understand the relationship between attitude control, vehicle configuration, spacecraft dynamics, actuators, sensors, and automation
• Experience with model-following control laws
• Knowledge of guidance algorithms, especially spacecraft and reentry vehicles
• Demonstrated technical experience through the full lifecycle of system development
• Proficiency in different control law schemes such as PID, Phase-Plane, H-Infinity, Lead and Lag Compensators, Dynamic Inversion, etc... 
• Experience designing flight control systems with reaction control systems (RCS), cold or hot gas thrusters, thrust vector control (TVC), or electric propulsion
• Deep knowledge of astrodynamics, orbital mechanics, attitude kinematics and spacecraft vehicle dynamics
• Experience with spacecraft flight control design considerations for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD).
• On-orbit experience providing GN&C support during mission operations
• Experience synthesizing and evaluating Monte Carlo simulations, hardware-in-the-loop, and software-in-the-loop testing
• Experience with real-time flight software and Simulink/Embedded Coder
• Hands-on experience with GN&C flight hardware
• Experience with performing system safety analyses including Functional Hazard Assessments; Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analyses; and Fault Tree Analysis
• Experience with Matlab/Simulink linear analysis tools.
• Experience with collaboration tools such as Gitlab, Confluence, and JIRA

 

Compensation Range for:

CO applicants is $125,400.00-$175,560.00;WA applicants is $136,800.00-$191,520.00

Other site ranges may differ

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

Inclusivity 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 a diverse, inclusive, and 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.

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.

Paid Time Off:  Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

Discretionary bonus: Bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results.

Eligibility for benefits varies by role type, please check with your recruiter for a comprehensive list of the benefits available for this role.

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, diverse, 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, in which all employees recognize and appreciate the diversity of individual team members. 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, gender, 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 “EEO Is the Law,” 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.

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