Blue Origin

Spacecraft Harness Design Engineer II - TeraWave

Blue Origin$98K — $137K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Aerospace, or Mechanical Engineering or related field
  • 3+ years of spacecraft or satellite harness design experience
  • Experienced in producing harness assembly and installation drawings
  • Hands-on with Bundle Interconnect Diagrams and interface coordination
  • Proficiency in electrical harness CAD tools (e.g., Creo Cabling, Zuken)
  • Knowledge of EMI/EMC principles for harness design
  • Familiarity with space application connector systems (e.g., Micro-D, MIL-DTL-38999)
  • Ability to manage multiple harness designs concurrently in a fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

  • Design and release spacecraft wire harness assemblies for TeraWave satellites
  • Develop Bundle and Wire Interconnect Diagrams in coordination with subsystem owners
  • Produce detailed harness engineering drawings
  • Maintain 3D harness routing models, verifying critical parameters
  • Select and specify connectors and interconnect hardware for space conditions
  • Perform harness-related analyses, including thermal and voltage drop considerations
  • Support manufacturing by coordinating harness fabrication and developing test procedures

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid parental leave and short/long-term disability
  • 401(k) with a 5% company match
  • Stock options for regular employees
  • Up to four weeks of Paid Time Off and 14 paid holidays
  • Education Support Program
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

About TeraWave

This role is part of TeraWave, a satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. TeraWave consists of 5,408 optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations.

Special Mentions

This is a unique opportunity to design harness systems for a mega-constellation of 5,408 satellites, where manufacturability, cost optimization, and production rate are first-order design drivers from day one. You will work across every subsystem on the vehicle - EPS power distribution, flight computer C&DH, GNC sensors, propulsion, solar array, RF and optical payloads, and thermal management - giving you broad spacecraft-level visibility that few harness roles offer.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Harness Design & Documentation:
  • Design, develop, and release spacecraft wire harness assemblies for bus, payload, and integration applications across the TeraWave satellite constellation
  • Develop Bundle Interconnect Diagrams (BIDs) and Wire Interconnect Diagrams (WIDs) in coordination with LRU/box owners across all subsystems (avionics, propulsion, GNC, RF payload, optical payload, solar array, thermal)
  • Produce harness engineering drawings including harness assembly drawings, installation drawings, and connector pin assignment drawings
  • Create and maintain 3D harness routing models in Creo/Windchill, performing interference checks, bend radius verification, and mass/length estimation
  • Work to harness specifications, workmanship standards, and design requirements aligned with Blue Origin command media


Connector & Interconnect Design:
  • Select connectors, backshells, contacts, and interconnect hardware appropriate for the space environment (vacuum, thermal cycling, radiation, vibration)
  • Define connector keying, clocking, and pin assignments to ensure proper mating and prevent misconnection during integration
  • Specify shielding termination methods (360° backshell termination, pigtail, drain wire) based on EMI/EMC requirements and signal type


Analysis & Verification:
  • Perform harness-related analyses including voltage drop, wire derating, current capacity, weight estimation, and thermal dissipation
  • Support EMI/EMC analysis for harness segregation planning - separate power, signal, and RF runs per the Electromagnetic Effects Control Plan


Manufacturing & Integration Support:
  • Coordinate with manufacturing engineering on harness fabrication - support make/buy decisions, develop build instructions, and resolve production issues
  • Support harness fabrication to specified workmanship standards
  • Develop test procedures for harness acceptance testing (continuity, hipot, insulation resistance, megohm)
  • Support vehicle integration and test - troubleshoot harness anomalies, process redlines, and support connector mate/demate operations
  • Design harnesses for manufacturability and rate production - minimize harness variants, standardize connector families, and optimize for assembly time at constellation scale (5,408 satellites)


Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field
  • 3+ years of experience in spacecraft or satellite harness design, cable routing, or electrical integration
  • Demonstrated experience producing harness assembly drawings, installation drawings, and connector pin assignment documentation
  • Hands-on experience with BID/WID development and interface coordination across multiple subsystems
  • Proficiency with electrical harness CAD tools (Creo Cabling / Routed Systems, Zuken, Capital Harness, Mentor/Siemens, or equivalent)
  • Working knowledge of harness fabrication standards
  • Understanding of EMI/EMC principles as applied to harness segregation, shielding, and grounding
  • Familiarity with connector systems used in space applications (Micro-D, Nano-D, D-sub, circular MIL-DTL-38999, MIL-DTL-83513, etc.)
  • Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, Block diagrams, and interface control documents
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple concurrent harness designs in a fast-paced environment
  • 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
  • 5+ years of experience in spacecraft harness design with at least one program through full lifecycle
  • Experience with Creo Cabling / Routed Systems and Windchill PLM for harness configuration management
  • Direct experience designing harnesses for satellite constellations or high-rate spacecraft or automotive production environments
  • Experience with high-voltage (>50V) spacecraft power harness design
  • Experience with harness weight optimization techniques for mass-constrained spacecraft
  • Background in harness-level or system-level signal integrity analysis for high-speed data interfaces (Ethernet, SpaceWire, LVDS)
  • Experience supporting harness fabrication shops - reviewing first articles, dispositioning nonconformances, and developing rework procedures


Compensation Range for:
CA applicants is $107,136.00 - $149,990.40CO applicants is $98,208.00 - $137,491.20WA applicants is $107,136.00 - $149,990.40

Other site ranges may differ

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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