Automation Controls Engineer

About Blue Origin 

Blue Origin is a spaceflight and exploration company founded on the belief that humanity's future depends on our ability to live and work in space. We are working to lower the cost of access to space through reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems, enabling a future where millions of people live and work in space. We value curiosity, passion, integrity, and a relentless drive to achieve our mission. Blue Origin is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

About This Role 

Blue Origin's Factory Automation team is part of the Advanced Manufacturing organization within Operations — serving as the in-house automation integrator responsible for designing, building, and deploying the custom equipment and systems that enable scalable, repeatable production across Blue Origin's manufacturing business units. We build manufacturing capability from the ground up, developing automated solutions that directly drive the delivery of Blue Origin's products across current and future programs. 

We are looking for an Automation Controls Engineer who brings hands-on experience in industrial controls design and automation systems integration. This role spans R&D, design, build, installation, and commissioning — offering the opportunity to grow your technical depth and ownership across the full project lifecycle. We are looking for engineers who understand the why behind the systems they build — who can reason from physics and engineering fundamentals, diagnose problems at their root, and architect sound solutions to novel challenges. If you are the kind of engineer who reaches for first principles before reaching for a manual, this team is built for you. 

Responsibilities 

• Collaborate with applications engineers on conceptual automated manufacturing equipment, contributing controls architecture input from concept through detailed design 

• Design and support control system architectures including network topology, I/O distribution, safety systems, and communication protocols 

• Participate in the industrial controls and electrical design of bespoke automation systems 

• Apply engineering first principles to analyze system behavior, identify root causes, and develop technically sound solutions to novel automation challenges 

• Develop offline simulations of automated systems to validate control logic, robot paths, cycle times, and system behavior prior to hardware availability 

• Support and execute online debugging and commissioning of PLC, HMI, robot, and similar industrial controls programs 

• Integrate auxiliary equipment, machines, and tools into unified control systems 

• Work with panel fabricators and field installation teams; provide technical support during system integration and commissioning 

• Support and lead factory and site acceptance testing, and contribute to the build, installation, commissioning, and start-up of automated manufacturing systems 

• Create controls documentation packages including sequence of operations, I/O lists, network diagrams, and program documentation 

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Controls, or related engineering field 

• Minimum 2 years of hands-on experience developing or integrating industrial controls and automation systems, including PLC and HMI programming as core competencies 

• Exposure to one or more industrial automation platforms such as robots, material handling systems (gantries, AGVs, conveyors), CNC machine integration, NDT, assembly, testing, or process tools (torque, welding, grinding, or similar) — breadth across all areas is not expected 

• Demonstrated ability to interpret and review electrical and mechanical drawings 

• Experience with industrial safety system design including functional safety devices, safety PLCs, and safety-rated circuits 

• 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 

• Familiarity with industrial automation and machine safety standards including IEC 61131, ANSI B11, NFPA 79, RIA R15.06, and functional safety standards (IEC 62061 / ISO 13849) 

• Experience with industrial automation simulation software for offline programming or virtual commissioning, such as Plant Simulate, Process Simulate, Visual Components, KUKA.Sim, RobotStudio, or similar 

• Experience with industrial machine vision systems, including configuration or application development using platforms such as Cognex 

• Experience building, modifying, or troubleshooting electrical control panels 

• Experience with electrical design for industrial control systems using AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or similar electrical CAD platforms 

• Demonstrated history of delivering custom automated manufacturing systems from concept through production ramp-up 

• Demonstrated ability to apply engineering fundamentals — including mechanics, electronics, and control theory — to diagnose complex system failures and develop first-principles solutions in novel or undefined problem spaces 

Don't have all the listed qualifications? Blue Origin is committed to building a diverse team. If you meet the basic qualifications and are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply.