Senior Embedded Software Engineer (IV) - Lunar Permanence

Application close date:

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!

Architect, design and deliver high-reliability software for lunar avionics and embedded edge computing platforms - from processor and FPGA interfaces to real-time execution, automated verification and autonomous fault recovery. Join Blue Origin's Lunar Permanence business unit to develop software for Blue Moon landers and related products, helping build sustainable infrastructure to transport crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

Within Core Avionics, lead architecture and delivery across interacting lunar avionics systems while remaining hands-on in implementation, integration and debugging. Our products include command and data handling, electrical power systems, cameras, lidars, radars, radios and network switches. Work with avionics, systems, software and test engineers to turn mission requirements into reliable software and verified releases.

Bring technical judgment to AI-assisted implementation, debugging and test generation. Shape opportunities for edge AI - processing sensor data and running inference locally on embedded devices - for onboard data processing, health monitoring and anomaly detection. Guide promising concepts into measured prototypes with clear architecture and verification criteria.

Your work will advance Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth.

Special Mentions

• Hiring level: Senior Embedded Software Engineer, Level IV.

• Locations: Kent, WA; Merritt Island, FL; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA.

• Relocation: Relocation assistance is available for this position.

• Travel: Depending on your work location, up to 20% travel may be required to support hardware deliveries, meetings and reviews.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture, implementation and delivery across multiple embedded systems and projects. Define hardware/software interfaces, own their formal interface control documents (ICDs), and make technical tradeoffs involving reliability, real-time behavior, memory and maintainability.

• Derive, decompose and review software requirements from system and mission requirements. Maintain traceability through design, implementation and verification, and coordinate requirements and interface changes with systems, avionics and test engineers.

• Develop and review board support packages (BSPs), software loaders, sensor and peripheral drivers, hardware abstraction layers and middleware for I/O and built-in test (BIT).

• Guide software integration across peripheral and sensor interfaces such as I2C, SPI, UART, MIPI, GMSL and CameraLink; SoC interconnects such as AXI within AMBA; and communication interfaces such as SpaceWire, Aurora, TCP/IP and UDP.

• Apply deep real-time expertise to scheduling, multitasking and synchronization; resolve failures involving timing, concurrency, memory and hardware/software interactions.

• Lead hardware integration and debugging using schematics, datasheets, register maps, software debuggers and laboratory instruments.

• Guide software integration with FPGA-based hardware, working with FPGA engineers on register interfaces, interrupts, DMA, data paths and hardware/software partitioning.

• Identify and prototype edge AI applications for sensor processing, avionics health monitoring and anomaly detection. Guide inference-runtime integration and define resource budgets, execution isolation and fallback behavior alongside real-time and safety-critical software.

• Design and implement autonomous safety-critical fault-recovery software and verify recovery behavior under representative fault conditions.

• Guide verification planning and strengthen automated unit, integration and regression testing across software-in-the-loop (SIL), processor-in-the-loop (PIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments as appropriate. Maintain requirements traceability and verification evidence that support release-readiness decisions.

• Identify and mitigate software technical risks. Lead root-cause investigations of software anomalies, verify corrective actions and maintain applicable software safety, quality and mission-assurance practices.

• Guide the use of AI-assisted tools for implementation, failure analysis and test generation. Evaluate generated changes against architecture, real-time constraints and verification results before release.

• Lead design and code reviews, mentor engineers, coordinate technical dependencies across teams and improve development and verification workflows.

Minimum qualifications

• BS in computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering or a related technical field.

• 10+ years of relevant experience in embedded software, firmware or closely related engineering work.

• Embedded software development skills in C, C++ or Rust, with demonstrated delivery through hardware integration and release.

• Deep hands-on experience with real-time systems, multitasking and synchronization in embedded environments.

• Proficiency developing and debugging sensor and peripheral drivers; experience with software loaders, I/O/BIT middleware, hardware abstraction and low-level interfaces.

• Proven experience designing reliable software architectures and implementing autonomous fault-recovery code for safety-critical or other mission-critical systems.

• Proficiency with testing frameworks, unit testing and automated verification; familiarity with continuous integration practices.

• Deep understanding of computer architecture and memory management, including memory buses, caches, DMA and memory allocation, with practical judgment about performance and resource constraints.

• Ability to read circuit schematics, datasheets and register maps and debug hardware/software interactions.

• Experience making architecture and interface decisions, leading technical reviews and mentoring engineers while contributing directly to implementation and debugging.

• Proficiency with Git for version control and collaborative code review.

• Strong problem-solving skills, excellent communication and a commitment to collaborative teamwork.

• Commitment to engineering quality, safe human spaceflight and Blue Origin's mission.

Preferred experience

• Knowledge of multiple processor architectures, such as ARM and x86; experience with real-time operating systems such as QNX and SafeRTOS, or embedded Linux built with Yocto.

• Python and pytest for automated functional, integration and regression verification, including reusable fixtures, parameterized tests and test-result reporting.

• Practical experience planning and debugging SIL, PIL or HIL tests, investigating software anomalies and preparing verification evidence for mission-critical software releases.

• Experience improving engineering workflows with AI coding assistants, automated test generation or AI-assisted debugging, while maintaining code quality and verification evidence.

• CI/CD environments such as GitLab, with Jira for work tracking and Confluence for engineering documentation.

• Embedded SoCs, hardware accelerators and signal or image processing, including sensor data paths and hardware/software partitioning; experience developing spaceflight software.

• FPGA-based platforms and software interfaces to programmable logic; familiarity reading VHDL, Verilog or SystemVerilog is a plus.

• Edge AI or embedded ML inference integration, including deployment and optimization of inference runtimes on CPUs, SoCs or FPGA-based platforms and characterization of latency, memory use and failure behavior.

• Experience evaluating TinyML on resource-constrained microcontrollers, including quantized inference, runtime integration and tradeoffs involving memory, compute, power and reliability.

• Practical experience applying software safety and assurance practices such as NASA NPR 7150.2D, ISO 26262, or DO-178C development and verification at DAL A or DAL B is strongly preferred, including requirements traceability and verification evidence.

• MS in a relevant technical field.

Base Pay Range for:

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, 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.
• 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.

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.