Senior Flight Software Engineer - OISL PAT - Project Sunrise - Orbital Data Centers

As a Senior Flight Software Engineer for Optical Intersatellite Links (OISL), you will step into one of the most novel and challenging flight software domains in the industry. You will be responsible for developing the critical Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking (PAT) software that enables our constellation to communicate. Given the groundbreaking nature of this technology, your work will begin in a high-fidelity simulation environment, where you will design, prototype, and validate the complex algorithms required to establish and maintain optical links between multiple satellites. This is a role for a senior engineer who thrives on solving new problems and is excited to build the software for a system that has never been built at this scale.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design, develop, and implement the flight software for the Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking (PAT) of our Optical Intersatellite Links (OISL).

• Create and maintain high-fidelity simulations to model the performance of the OISL PAT system in a dynamic, multi-satellite environment.

• Develop and verify the complex control algorithms required to accurately point and track optical terminals across vast distances.

• Implement the software interfaces between the OISL PAT system, the flight computer, and the optical hardware.

• Analyze simulation and test data to validate system performance, identify anomalies, and drive design improvements.

• Collaborate closely with optical engineers, GNC specialists, and systems engineers to ensure the PAT software meets the demanding performance requirements of the network.

• Contribute to the full lifecycle of the OISL software, from early simulation and prototyping to hardware-in-the-loop testing and on-orbit commissioning., 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

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Optical Engineering, or a related technical field.

• 5+ years of experience in software development for real-time control systems.

• Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Rust, with experience in a real-time embedded environment.

• Demonstrated experience in developing control algorithms, particularly for pointing and tracking systems.

• Proficiency with high-fidelity modeling and simulation (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, C++/Python-based simulations).

• 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 or PhD in a relevant field.

• Direct experience with free-space optical communication, LiDAR, or other laser-based pointing and tracking systems.

• Deep understanding of control theory, Kalman filtering, and state estimation.

• Experience with the software development lifecycle for mission-critical aerospace systems.

• Familiarity with spacecraft GNC systems and orbital mechanics.

• Familiarity with software assurance standards such as NASA-STD-8739.8, NPR 7150.2, ECSS-Q-ST-80C, or equivalent (e.g., DO-178C), and with embedded coding standards such as the JPL Institutional Coding Standard, MISRA C/C++, or CERT C/C++.

• Familiarity with optical intersatellite link standards such as the SDA Optical Communications Terminal standard or CCSDS optical communications specifications.

• A passion for solving novel problems in a simulation-first, rapid-development environment.

• Travel may be required up to 10% of the time.

• Relocation assistance available.

Base Pay Range for: VA applicants is $197,529.00 - $276,539.55 CO applicants is $181,626.00 - $254,275.35 WA applicants is $197,529.00 - $276,539.55, * 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.

This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

Join Blue Origin as we build infrastructure in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re developing Project Sunrise, a constellation of orbital data centers designed to transform how compute infrastructure is deployed and leveraged at an unprecedented scale.