Senior Payload Operations Engineer

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 diverse 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 a diverse team of collaborators, doers, and problem- solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.  

As part of a small, passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will be the Mission Operations point of contact with spacecraft customers and manufacturer during the launch campaign for Mission Operations. You will share in the team’s impact on all aspects of Payload Integration. You will be responsible for supporting mission analysis, design, and spacecraft launch operations. You will be responsible for generating mission-unique documentation required for planning and approvals, and processing, as well as post-flight reports. The position will involve coordination with Marketing, Customer Experience, systems engineers, and other disciplines during the mission proposal as well as integration phase.  You will be responsible for coordinating requirements with all disciplines of the launch site operations team.  Other responsibilities will initially include processing flight hardware, performing spacecraft mate & encapsulation, transport, mate to the launch vehicle, and integrated testing.

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!

Responsibilities:

• Function as launch site focal point for spacecraft interface requirements (IRD, ICD, etc.) evaluation and proposing edits to the Mission Integrator and Mission Manager.
• Participate in generating or evaluating proposals for primary, secondary, co-manifested, or rideshare payloads.
• Perform thorough technical assessments of proposed internal and external payload interface requirements to understand the impacts to the launch site
• Evaluate or contribute to validation planning for payloads
• Capture and implement launch system upgrades/changes to support mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, thermal and shock environments, contamination and communication requirements for a broad variety of spacecraft types including crewed systems.
• Work directly with Mission Management leadership to generate proposals and requirement verification planning for primary and secondary payloads (co-manifested, or rideshare payloads) while working with launch vehicle engineering for implementation
• Act as primary point of contact for all, launch site, spacecraft processing activity throughout the launch campaign, including administrative and support services to the customer at the Payload Process (PPF) and launch facilities
• Manage/coordinate spacecraft daily processing schedule inputs to the mission integration and daily operations schedules.
• Participate in launch countdown monitoring various interface airborne and ground systems supporting the spacecraft.
• Coordinate and host spacecraft customer launch site visits and technical interchange meetings, and act as the Launch Operations technical representative during mission integration design meetings.
• Lead a small group of highly skilled technicians to perform payload processing activities in 100K (ISO-8) class or higher cleanroom
• Assist with hands-on assembly, integration, and testing of payload accommodations flight hardware including mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and pneumatic equipment

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, physics, aerospace engineering or another related engineering discipline
• A minimum of 5 years of direct/specialized experience in large spacecraft integration and/or the development of payload integration requirements