Senior Power Electronics Engineer – Solar Array - TeraWave

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!  

Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide.

Join Blue Origin's TeraWave Spacecraft Bus team as a Senior Power Electronics Engineer focused on Solar Array Regulation. You will serve as the Responsible Engineer (RE) for the Solar Array Regulator (SAR) — a flight-critical component at the heart of the spacecraft's Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS). The SAR governs how solar array power is captured, regulated, and delivered to the spacecraft bus across every illumination condition encountered in orbit, making it one of the most performance- and reliability-sensitive designs on the vehicle.

This is a full product ownership role. You will drive the SAR from requirements definition through circuit design, qualification, and production release — and you will do it at constellation scale. TeraWave operates at a production rate of thousands of units, which means your design decisions directly impact manufacturing yield, unit cost, test throughput, and schedule. This is not a flagship mission environment where schedule is measured in years and cost is secondary. You will be expected to balance rigorous space-grade reliability with aggressive cost and manufacturability targets simultaneously — and to thrive in that tension.

Responsibilities:

• Lead circuit design for the Solar Array Regulator, including S3R, PPT, and MPPT topologies for a high-voltage spacecraft power bus
• Characterize solar array electrical performance across illumination angles, temperature ranges, and eclipse/sun transition scenarios to define design margins and inform control algorithm development
• Define thermal dissipation requirements for shunt elements and collaborate with thermal engineering to validate heat rejection across all operating modes
• Derive and maintain SAR hardware requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), and design specifications in coordination with systems engineering and adjacent subsystems including thermal, structures, harness, avionics, and the solar array supplier
• Participate in FMEA/FMECA activities and drive single-point failure elimination throughout the design
• Optimize the SAR design for high-rate manufacturing, including component commonality, DFM/DFT compliance, and unit cost targets without compromising reliability or performance
• Define and transition Automated Test Equipment (ATE) from development to production, including solar array simulation capability and fault coverage validation
• Develop and execute hardware qualification plans per MIL-STD-1540, SMC-S-016, or equivalent standards, and lead anomaly investigation and resolution
• Serve as the technical authority for the SAR during vehicle integration and flight acceptance test campaigns
• Own and maintain the complete SAR design package — schematics, PCB layouts, BOMs, drawings, and analysis reports — within the PLM configuration management system

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field, plus 7 or more years of hands-on electronics hardware development experience
• Demonstrated design experience with solar array regulation topologies — specifically shunt regulation, S3R, MPPT, or PPT — in a spacecraft or high-reliability power system application
• Design experience with high-voltage power electronics above 50V, including bus architecture (regulated, unregulated, or semi-regulated) and protection circuit design
• Hands-on experience leading or substantially contributing to a hardware qualification campaign per MIL-STD-1540, SMC-S-016, ECSS-E-ST-10-03, or a directly comparable standard, including test plan development and anomaly resolution
• Experience with radiation-tolerant or radiation-hardened design practices for space environments, including component selection and total ionizing dose (TID) analysis

Preferred Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• 9 or more years of power electronics or power systems development experience for space or other harsh environments
• Experience with solar array simulators and I-V curve characterization equipment for qualification and production acceptance testing
• Experience in high-rate production electronics environments, including DFM/DFT optimization, production test development, and yield improvement
• Familiarity with eclipse/sun transition power management, battery charge regulation, and the downstream interactions between the SAR and power management and distribution hardware
• Experience designing and integrating high-dissipation electronics with mechanical structures for thermal management
• Proficiency with Altium Designer (or comparable tool) for schematic capture and PCB layout
• Proficiency with LTspice or a comparable SPICE-based simulation tool for circuit analysis
• Experience with Windchill PLM or an equivalent configuration management system
• Experience with EMI/EMC design and compliance per MIL-STD-461 or equivalent
• Background in safety-critical systems development across aerospace, automotive, medical, or defense applications
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to author specifications, analysis reports, and test plans independently

 

Base Pay Range for:

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, 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 at EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.