Blue Origin

Avionics Engineer II - Inverter Development

Blue Origin$107K — $149K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field required.
  • 3+ years of hands-on electrical engineering design experience in power electronics; or a Master's degree plus 1+ year.
  • Proven experience designing and testing custom power electronics with knowledge of key components.
  • Understanding of PMSM/BLDC motor control fundamentals including field-oriented control.
  • Experience in analog, digital, or mixed-signal circuit design and analysis.
  • Proficiency with lab test equipment, including oscilloscopes and power analyzers.
  • U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status required.

Responsibilities

  • Design three-phase motor drive inverters through all lifecycle phases from concept to production.
  • Support motor control implementation and testing in collaboration with controls and software engineers.
  • Contribute to architecture trade studies and analyses related to performance and fault tolerance.
  • Conduct design risk analyses and root-cause analysis for test anomalies.
  • Execute hands-on lab testing for EMI and environmental qualification.
  • Coordinate with systems engineering and actuator teams on project requirements and testing.
  • Communicate developmental status, risks, and challenges effectively to management.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Basic and supplemental life insurance with paid parental leave.
  • Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
  • 401(k) plan with up to 5% company match.
  • Education Support Program to aid professional development and learning opportunities.
  • Stock options for all regular employees working at least 20 hours/week.
  • Generous paid time off of up to four weeks per year plus 14 company-paid holidays.
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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.

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.

As part of a small, hardworking, and accomplished team of experts, you will design and qualify three-phase motor drive inverters that power New Glenn's electromechanical systems. You will own inverter development from concept through qualification, working closely with controls, software, mechanical, and actuator teams to deliver drives that meet demanding requirements in a launch vehicle environment.

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

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To:
  • Design three-phase motor drive inverters across the product life cycle: concept and requirements definition, design, analysis, prototyping, test and verification up to final release to production.
  • Support implementation and testing of motor control: field-oriented control, current and velocity loops, and position feedback, in partnership with controls and software engineers.
  • Contribute to architecture trade studies, analyses, performance characterization, and fault tolerance trades.
  • Support design risk analyses, worst-case circuit analysis and parts derating, failure modes effects and criticality analyses (FMECA), design for test/manufacture/cost (DFx), and root-cause analysis of test anomalies.
  • Plan and execute hands-on lab testing, including EMI testing, and environmental qualification (random vibration, shock, thermal cycling, thermal vacuum).
  • Coordinate with systems engineering and electromechanical actuator teams on requirements, integration, and test.
  • Effectively communicate development status, risks, and challenges to management.


Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, or related field.
  • 3+ years of hands-on electrical engineering design experience in power electronics, or a Master of Science plus 1+ year design experience.
  • Demonstrated experience designing and testing custom power electronics, including specific knowledge in switching device selection, isolated gate drive, dead-time setting, DC link capacitor sizing, phase current sensing, and protection schemes.
  • Working knowledge of PMSM/BLDC motor control fundamentals: field-oriented control, PWM modulation strategies, and closed current and velocity loops.
  • Experience with analog, digital, or mixed-signal circuit design, including analysis, simulation, test, troubleshooting, and part selection.
  • Familiar with many of the following parts and their usage: isolated gate drivers, Si and SiC MOSFETs, IGBTs, current sensors (shunt, hall, fluxgate), ADCs, DACs, op-amps, power supplies (linear, LDO, DC/DC), and processors (MCU, DSP, FPGA).
  • Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout for custom PCBA designs.
  • Hands-on proficiency with lab test equipment: oscilloscopes, high-bandwidth current probes, power analyzers, and motor or inertial load test setups.
  • Desire to work hands-on, both independently and as part of a team, throughout the development and production phases of the electronic assembly product lifecycle.
  • 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:
  • Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, or related field.
  • Motor drive design experience in aerospace, space, defense, automotive traction, or industrial servo applications.
  • Wide-bandgap power device design experience (SiC MOSFET or GaN HEMT), including gate loop and layout optimization and device paralleling.
  • High-voltage power electronic design experience, including corona and partial discharge mitigation for high-altitude and vacuum operation, insulation coordination, and potting/encapsulation.
  • Experience characterizing switching losses via double-pulse testing.
  • Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, SPICE, and PLECS or PSIM or similar modeling/analysis tools.
  • EMI/EMC design and test experience to MIL-STD-461, DO-160, or similar.
  • Experience with electromechanical actuator, thrust vector control, valve actuation, or turbopump drive systems.
  • Experience developing products from early trade studies through final design, manufacturing, and testing.


Base Pay Range for:
WA applicants is $107,136.00 - $149,990.40

Other site ranges may differ

Culture 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 an 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.

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.
  • Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
  • Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
  • Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

About Blue Origin

Blue Origin is an aerospace company that develops rockets and spacecraft for commercial and government customers. The company's products include the New Shepard suborbital vehicle and the New Glenn orbital rocket. Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos and is headquartered in Kent, Washington.
Learn more about Blue Origin
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2000

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