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GN&C Navigation Lead - ACE

Blue Origin LLC

Seattle, WA

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JOB DETAILS
JOB TYPE
Full-time, Employee
SKILLS
Aerospace Engineering, Affirmative Action, Algorithms, Analysis Skills, Avionics, C Programming Language, C++ Programming Language, CDL Driver's License, Calibration, Change Control, Cost Control, Disability Accommodations, Documentation, Electrical Engineering, Federal Laws and Regulations, Formal Verification, Genetics, Hardware Quality Assurance, Hazardous Materials/Substances, Kalman Filter, Leadership, Legal, MATLAB, Material Moving, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Records, Military, Navigation Solution (NAVSOL), Navigation Systems, Onboarding, Performance Modeling, Physics, Problem Solving Skills, Product Lifecycle, Python Programming/Scripting Language, Quality Assurance Methodology, Receivers, Regulations, Requirements Management, Resource Management, Road Tests, Simulation, Software Configuration Management, Software Development, Stability Analysis, State Laws and Regulations, System Architecture, System Integration (SI), System Operations, System Test, Systems Administration/Management, Systems Analysis, Systems Maintenance, Technical Leadership, Technical Presentation, Traceability, Validation Plan, Vendor/Supplier Evaluation, Verification Plans, Willing to Travel
LOCATION
Seattle, WA
POSTED
30+ days ago
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 team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

The Lead Navigation Engineer serves as the technical authority for spacecraft navigation system design, analysis, and integration across all mission phases. This role is responsible for driving requirements development, subsystem integration, and verification closure. The Lead Navigation Engineer coordinates across disciplines including avionics, flight software, SE&I, ground systems, and mission operations to deliver a robust, fault-tolerant navigation solution that satisfies mission performance and reliability requirements. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in estimation theory and inertial navigation, a systems-level perspective on how navigation integrates with the broader spacecraft and mission architecture, and the leadership skills to guide a team through the full development lifecycle.

Special Mentions:

Relocation provided
Travel expected up to 15% of the time

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Define and maintain the navigation system architecture, including redundancy management and fault-tolerance design, ensuring alignment with mission requirements and spacecraft constraints.
Develop navigation system requirements and manage their decomposition, allocation, and traceability through SE&I processes, including interface requirements with other spacecraft, launch vehicles, and ground segment(s).
Design, develop, and analyze navigation filters for all mission phases, including launch, orbital maneuvers, and rendezvous and proximity operations.
Perform detailed covariance analysis; derive navigation error budgets; validate filter performance and inform system-level design trades.
Support sensor modeling and performance characterization for inertial measurement units, star trackers, optical navigation hardware, GNSS receivers, and other navigation instruments.
Coordinate navigation system integration with avionics, flight software, and vehicle management systems, ensuring proper data interfaces, timing, and computational resource allocation.
Support ground segment navigation operations design, including ground-based tracking, orbit determination, and state update processes.
Develop, integrate, and verify navigation algorithms within high-fidelity simulation environments.
Lead navigation-related technical reviews, present to program leadership and customers, and serve as the navigation subject matter expert across the program.
Support verification and validation planning, execution, and documentation, including coordination with integrated test teams for hardware-in-the-loop and system-level testing.

Qualifications:

Minimum of a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering, physics, applied mathematics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or other relevant engineering field.
12+ years of experience in spacecraft or launch vehicle navigation engineering, with demonstrated progression in technical scope and responsibility.
Experience with sensor fusion architectures that integrate measurement sources into a coherent navigation solution with well-characterized performance bounds.
Expert-level understanding of estimation theory, including Kalman filtering, covariance analysis, and filter stability.
Deep knowledge of inertial navigation principles, including IMU error modeling, alignment, and calibration.
Demonstrated experience with navigation sensor selection, specification development, and vendor evaluation.
Proven ability to develop and close navigation system requirements within a formal SE&I framework.
Experience integrating navigation systems with spacecraft avionics, flight software, and ground systems.
Strong software and modeling skills in one or more of MATLAB, Python, C/C++, or Rust.

Desired:

M.S. or Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, applied mathematics, physics, or another relevant STEM field.
Experience as a navigation technical lead or subsystem lead on a spacecraft or launch vehicle program.
Experience with rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) navigation system design.
Experience with GNSS receiver integration and processing for spacecraft applications.
Experience with simulation development in Trick/JEOD, or equivalent high-fidelity frameworks.
Experience supporting formal qualification testing, certification documentation, or mission readiness activities.
Knowledge of software configuration control, quality assurance processes, and flight software development standards.

Compensation Range for:
CO applicants is $144,179.00 - $201,849.90
WA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45

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.

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.

Background Check

Required for all positions: Blue's Standard Background Check

Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation

Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

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.

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.

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 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. 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, sex, 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 "Know Your Rights," 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 atEEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.

California Applicant Privacy Notice

If you are a California resident, please reference the CA Applicant Privacy Notice here.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government commercial space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the U.S. (i.e. current green card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1157-1158. Learn more about the ITAR here.

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. For more information on “EEO Is the Law,” please see here and here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation
Applicants wishing to view a copy of 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.

About the Company

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Blue Origin LLC