Wireless Communication Systems Engineer

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.

Job Description

As part of a hardworking team of engineers and specialists, you will develop and analyze wireless communication system algorithms and architectures for the TeraWave custom silicon platform. You will work across communication systems, modem PHY/MAC, digital signal processing, RF, ASIC, and software teams to develop algorithms and system models and support their implementation in custom silicon. You will contribute to the development of high-performance, power-efficient communication solutions for advanced space-based wireless systems, from algorithm development and system simulation through pre-silicon verification and post-silicon validation.

Special Mentions

• Relocation provided
• Travel expected up to 20% of the time
• Interviews will include a technical assessment
• This role will be onsite in either the Bay Area, CA; San Diego, CA; Austin, TX; or Kent, WA. A temporary remote work exception may be available while specific sites are being developed.

Responsibilities

• Develop and model wireless communication algorithms and signal-processing functions for custom silicon, including modem PHY/MAC, radio DSP, beamforming, and packet-processing functions.
• Develop end-to-end communication system and link-level models to evaluate system performance, architecture tradeoffs, and implementation requirements.
• Develop and analyze channel and RF impairment models, including noise, interference, Doppler, frequency and timing offsets, phase noise, nonlinearities, and other relevant impairments.
• Design and evaluate algorithms for synchronization, channel estimation, equalization, modulation/demodulation, coding, link adaptation, and other modem functions.
• Analyze algorithm performance and implementation tradeoffs including performance, complexity, latency, memory, bandwidth, power, and fixed-point requirements.
• Translate communication-system and algorithm requirements into specifications suitable for FPGA and ASIC implementation.
• Work closely with ASIC engineers to support hardware implementation, fixed-point conversion, architecture tradeoffs, and pre-silicon verification of communication algorithms.
• Collaborate with RFIC, beamforming, software, and system engineering teams to define interfaces and ensure end-to-end system performance.
• Develop MATLAB, Python, C/C++, SystemC, or equivalent reference models used for algorithm development, system simulation, and implementation verification.
• Support FPGA prototyping, pre-silicon verification, silicon bring-up, and post-silicon validation to verify system and algorithm performance against requirements.
• Analyze simulation and laboratory results, identify performance gaps, and work across engineering teams to resolve system-level issues.
• Document algorithms, models, requirements, assumptions, interfaces, and verification results.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Communications Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in wireless communication systems, modem development, digital signal processing, or related engineering.
• Strong understanding of digital communications and signal-processing fundamentals.
• Experience with communication technologies and algorithms such as OFDM, QPSK/QAM, synchronization, channel estimation, equalization, forward error correction, and link adaptation.
• Experience developing communication-system or signal-processing models using MATLAB, Python, C/C++, SystemC, or similar tools.
• Understanding of wireless channel effects and RF impairments and their impact on communication-system performance.
• Ability to work collaboratively across communication systems, ASIC, RFIC, FPGA, software, and test teams.
• 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

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Communications Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with satellite, cellular, Wi-Fi, or other broadband wireless communication systems.
• Experience with link-level and/or system-level communication simulations.
• Experience developing or implementing modem PHY algorithms for FPGA or ASIC platforms.
• Familiarity with fixed-point modeling and translating floating-point communication algorithms into hardware-efficient implementations.
• Familiarity with RF and mixed-signal components including ADCs, DACs, mixers, amplifiers, and phased-array architectures.
• Experience with synchronization, carrier-frequency offset, sampling-frequency offset, Doppler compensation, channel estimation, or beamforming algorithms.
• Experience supporting FPGA prototyping, ASIC pre-silicon verification, or post-silicon bring-up and validation.

Base Pay Range

• CA applicants: $192,051.00 - $268,870.35
• WA applicants: $192,051.00 - $268,870.35
• 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

• 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. Affluent Action and Disability Accommodation Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affinity Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.

We’re committed to building the road to space so our children can build the future. We are a mission-driven company focused on ideas and innovation, and encourage fresh perspectives from bold voices. At Blue, our team is building the future as their unique selves.

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