Principal Hardware Engineer - TeraWave Network Switch Platform

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. Principal Hardware Engineer – Network Switch Platform Blue Origin's Emerging Systems business unit is building TeraWave, a satellite communications constellation powered by the most advanced optical communications architecture ever attempted: thousands of optically interconnected satellites delivering symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth, providing enterprise and hyperscale customers with resilient, scalable connectivity for critical operations where terrestrial infrastructure cannot reach. You will own the end-to-end hardware design of the switching subsystem from high-speed Ethernet switch and PHY integration to power architecture, embedded management controllers, and high-speed PCB layout. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who has designed and shipped complex electronic products in fast-moving environments and wants to apply that experience to hardware operating at orbital scale. Special Mentions: Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates. Travel: Up to 25%. Responsibilities: Embedded Management & Microprocessor Architecture Architect BMC subsystems using MPSoC, ARM, or RISC-V microprocessors to monitor line card health, thermal sensors, and voltage rails. Design and integrate low-level communication buses (I2C, SPI, PMBus, SMBus, RS-485, CAN) for hardware telemetry and sequencing control. Develop hardware watchdog circuits and redundant boot sequences for fault recovery. Enable in-flight firmware reprogrammability via ground link, including secure update and rollback mechanisms. Power Distribution & Regulation Architect high-reliability power distribution with autonomous sequencing, redundant paths (e.g., ORing controllers), and fault isolation to eliminate single points of failure. Specify and integrate radiation-hardened or radiation-tolerant components rated for SEE and TID in the target orbital environment. Design power stages for thermal-vacuum operation, emphasizing high-efficiency topologies and conduction/radiation thermal transfer. Architect low-noise power trees using high-PSRR LDOs and multi-stage LC filtering to protect sensitive analog and high-speed digital lanes. Signal & Power Integrity Lead SPICE-based transient analysis and hardware validation of load step responses, switching transients, and voltage ripple to millivolt-level tolerances. Develop EMI/EMC mitigation strategies — grounding architecture, decoupling optimization, power/signal plane isolation — to prevent crosstalk between power distribution and high-speed data paths. Hardware Design, Integration & Test Lead multi-layer PCB design for switch line cards: stackup definition, impedance-controlled routing, thermal management, and DFM. Manage CCA BOM procurement, vendor coordination, and assembly oversight. Integrate BSPs, SDKs, and device drivers for Ethernet switching and network processor components in collaboration with firmware and software teams. Architect and bring up high-performance Ethernet switching systems, including NPU/switch ASIC integration, PHY and SerDes tuning, VLAN configuration, and MAC-level validation across high-density line cards. Resolve complex hardware-software interface issues across L1 and L2, including physical layer bring-up, transceiver integration, and MAC-level debugging. Lead factory acceptance testing, physical layer validation (optical transceivers, high-density copper), and commissioning of switch hardware. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. 10+ years of experience in hardware design, power electronics, or embedded systems in a product development environment. Track record of designing and shipping complex electronic products through development into production. Experience designing multi-layer PCBs with high-speed digital interfaces and mixed-signal power distribution; proficiency in Altium, Cadence, or equivalent. Hands-on experience designing and integrating high-speed Ethernet switch hardware, including network processors (NPUs), SerDes interfaces, and optical or copper PHY technologies. Strong knowledge of power supply design (DC-DC converters, LDOs, sequencing, transient analysis) with hands-on SPICE simulation experience. Experience with embedded microprocessor design (ARM, RISC-V, or similar) including BSP integration and peripheral bus bring-up (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN). Practical EMI/EMC mitigation and signal/power integrity analysis experience. Excellent technical documentation and communication skills. Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering. 15+ years of relevant experience. Experience with radiation effects on electronics (SEE, TID, displacement damage) and mitigation techniques. Experience designing electronics for space, aviation, or other high-reliability thermal-vacuum environments. Experience with FPGA or ASIC integration in board management or data-path contexts. Background in production hardware including DFM/DFT practices, supply chain coordination, and yield optimization. Hands-on environmental qualification testing (TVAC, vibration, EMI/EMC). Why Blue Origin At Blue Origin, we are driven by Gradatim Ferociter — "Step by Step, Ferociously." As a Principal Hardware Engineer on the Network Switch Platform, you will design the foundational hardware connecting an orbital constellation at unprecedented scale, alongside world-class engineers solving problems at the intersection of high-performance networking and spaceflight. Compensation Range for: CA applicants is $183,193.00 - $256,469.85 WA applicants is $183,193.00 - $256,469.85 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. 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At Blue, our team is building the future as their unique selves. Thank you for your interest in working at Blue Origin! Blue Origin was founded with a vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue Origin believes it has an important role in building a road to space and lowering the cost of getting there. At Blue Origin, we’re working on this today by developing fully reusable launch vehicles and systems that are safe, reliable and affordable. Every launch vehicle is designed for human spaceflight from the beginning and able to ferry payloads to space. California Applicant Privacy Notice