Software Engineer III - Applied AI

Software Engineer III - Applied AIAt 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 Enterprise Technology (ET), where we're developing the digital infrastructure needed to build the road to space, with an emphasis on digital capabilities required to advance Blue Origin's mission. Enterprise Technology is the center of excellence for digital technology at Blue Origin, providing oversight and governance to align technology and business strategies.We are seeking a skilled and self-directed Software Engineer III - Applied AI to join our enterprise search and AI team. You'll take meaningful ownership over the architecture and delivery of agentic, workflow-driven search and discovery platforms - powering enterprise knowledge graphs and AI-assisted retrieval systems that help Blue Origin teams find critical data in seconds.At this level, you will drive technical decisions, mentor junior engineers, lead cross-functional delivery, and bring rigor to the areas that matter most: retrieval quality, LLM evaluation, frontend engineering depth, and system observability. You will help mature the team's standards in these areas and set the example for how we build production-grade AI applications.Key ResponsibilitiesLead full-stack development of search, RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), and agentic AI applications using Python, TypeScript/React, and JavaOwn retrieval pipeline quality: design and maintain evaluation harnesses for chunking strategies, embedding models, reranking, and end-to-end RAG response quality; drive improvements through offline and online evalsBuild and maintain LLM evaluation frameworks - including automated regression suites, human preference datasets, and task-specific benchmarks - to ensure consistent, trustworthy AI outputArchitect and deliver production-grade React frontends with deep component design, accessible UI patterns, state management (Redux, Zustand, or equivalent), and performance profilingEstablish observability standards for AI systems: distributed tracing, structured logging, LLM-specific metrics (latency, token cost, hallucination rate, retrieval relevance), dashboards, and alertingDesign and operate AWS-based infrastructure (ECS/EKS, Lambda, OpenSearch, S3, CloudWatch) using Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/CDK); champion DevOps practices including CI/CD, automated testing gates, and release managementCollaborate with other engineers to integrate embedding models, vector databases, and reranking systems into production-ready pipelinesMentor junior engineers in engineering craft, testing discipline, and AI product qualityPartner with product, design, and mission stakeholders to translate complex requirements into durable technical solutionsContribute to engineering standards, ADRs, and team knowledge basesRequired QualificationsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field5+ years of software engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership of production systemsFluent with LLMs as a development tool - spec-driven development, and building AI-first featuresHands-on experience building and maintaining LLM/RAG pipelines (from embedding and retrieval through reranking and prompt design) and evaluation frameworks (offline evals, regression testing, relevance scoring, hallucination detection)Strong frontend engineering skills: React (hooks, context, custom component libraries), TypeScript, state management, accessibility, and performance optimizationSolid backend development in Python and/or Java; REST and GraphQL API designExperience with observability tooling: structured logging, distributed tracing (OpenTelemetry, X-Ray, or equivalent), metrics dashboards (CloudWatch, Datadog, Grafana), and alertingAWS cloud experience: ECS/EKS, Lambda, S3, OpenSearch, CloudWatch, IAMFamiliarity with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CDK, or CloudFormation)Strong CI/CD practices: automated test gates, deployment pipelines, rollback strategiesExcellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills; ability to represent engineering decisions to non-technical stakeholdersPreferred QualificationsExperience with enterprise search platforms (Sinequa, Elasticsearch, OpenSearch)Knowledge graph or graph database experience (Neo4j, Amazon Neptune)AWS certification (Solutions Architect, Developer, or Machine Learning Specialty)Experience with agentic AI frameworks (LangChain, LlamaIndex, AutoGen, CrewAI)Background in AI system reliability engineeringFamiliarity with data visualization (D3.js, Plotly, Recharts) or 3D rendering (Three.js)Experience in aerospace, defense, or manufacturing industriesBase Pay Range for:WA applicants is $164,652.00 - $230,512.80Other site ranges may differCulture StatementDon'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 RegulationsApplicants 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 CheckRequired for all positions: Blue's Standard Background CheckRequired for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installationRequired 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 physicalBenefitsBenefits 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 OpportunityBlue 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