Application close date:

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

This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities.

Blue Origin's Emerging Systems business unit is building TeraWave, a satellite communications constellation powered by the most advanced optical communications architecture ever attempted: thousands of optically interconnected satellites delivering symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth, providing enterprise and hyperscale customers with resilient, scalable connectivity for critical operations where terrestrial infrastructure cannot reach.

You will own the end-to-end hardware design integration of TeraWave modules to power architecture, embedded management controllers, and high-speed PCB layout. As a foundational element of TeraWave operations, hardware must be architected not only for performance but for manufacturability, testability, reliability, and serviceability at constellation scale. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who has designed and shipped complex electronic products in fast-moving environments and wants to apply that experience to hardware operating at orbital scale.

Special Mentions:

• Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.
• Travel: Up to 50%.

Responsibilities:

Hardware Design, Integration & Test

• Lead multi-layer PCB design for switch line cards: stackup definition, impedance-controlled routing, thermal management, and DFM.
• Manage CCA BOM procurement, vendor coordination, and assembly oversight.

Design for Excellence (DFX)

• Drive Design for Excellence (DFX) principles — DFM, DFT, DFA, DFR, and DFS — across the full switching subsystem lifecycle to ensure hardware scales from prototype through volume production for TeraWave operations.
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM):Optimize PCB stackups, component footprints, and assembly processes to maximize yield and minimize cost at constellation-scale production volumes.
• Design for Test (DFT):Architect built-in test structures, boundary scan (JTAG), test points, and automated test coverage to enable efficient factory acceptance and in-field diagnostics.
• Design for Assembly (DFA):Simplify component placement, connector selection, and mechanical integration to reduce assembly time and error rates.
• Design for Reliability (DFR):Apply derating, worst-case circuit analysis, FMEA, and reliability prediction to ensure long-duration operation in the orbital environment.
• Design for Serviceability/Supply Chain (DFS):Coordinate with supply chain and manufacturing partners to drive component standardization, second-sourcing strategies, and obsolescence mitigation across the production lifecycle.
• Partner with manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams to define acceptance criteria, drive yield optimization, and support production ramp for sustained TeraWave operations.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in hardware design, power electronics, or embedded systems in a product development environment.
• Experience designing multi-layer PCBs with high-speed digital interfaces and mixed-signal power distribution; proficiency in Altium, Cadence, or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience designing and integrating high-speed Ethernet switch hardware, including network processors (NPUs), SerDes interfaces, and optical or copper PHY technologies.
• Demonstrated application of DFX principles (DFM/DFT/DFA/DFR) in bringing hardware from design into volume production.
• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
• 15+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience with radiation effects on electronics (SEE, TID, displacement damage) and mitigation techniques.
• Experience designing electronics for space, aviation, or other high-reliability thermal-vacuum environments.
• Experience with FPGA or ASIC integration in board management or data-path contexts.
• Background in production hardware including comprehensive DFX practices (DFM/DFT/DFA/DFR), supply chain coordination, and yield optimization at scale.
• Hands-on environmental qualification testing (TVAC, vibration, EMI/EMC).

Why Blue Origin

At Blue Origin, we are driven by Gradatim Ferociter — "Step by Step, Ferociously." As a Principal Hardware Engineer, you will design the foundational hardware connecting an orbital constellation at unprecedented scale, alongside world-class engineers solving problems at the intersection of high-performance networking and spaceflight.

Base Pay Range for:

CA applicants is $183,193.00 - $256,469.85

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.