Embedded Software Engineer III

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. As a member of the Blue Origin family of companies, Honeybee Robotics has been at the forefront of robotics for over 40 years, pioneering novel exploration systems for extreme planetary environments. At our Southern California location, we support planetary science—including every NASA Mars rover since Spirit and Opportunity—and develop practical In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) solutions. We seek technically brilliant individuals in engineering, software, and support fields who take ownership of their work, collaborate effectively, and focus on details that drive excellence.

About the role

Honeybee Robotics is seeking a hardworking Embedded Software Engineer to develop embedded software for a remotely controlled rover. This role requires technical expertise, leadership skills, and a commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead efforts in coding, testing, and validation of vehicle control software.
• Manage software field deployments and provide on-site and remote support to customers.
• Work with stakeholders to derive and own software system requirements and schedules.
• Evaluate and identify improvements to system design, focusing on robust autonomy.
• Collaborate with scientists, engineering managers, product management, and program management to drive new product development from concept to production.
• Write requirements and specification documents.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
• More than 3 years of hands-on experience in software development for PC or embedded platforms.
• Proficient in developing bare-metal applications using C/C++.
• Proficient in applying testing frameworks and conducting unit tests.
• Proficient in writing drivers for various types of sensors.
• Basic understanding of electromechanical systems (motors, actuators, controls).
• Experience crafting autonomous safety-critical fault recovery code.
• Proven experience crafting reliable software architectures for critical systems.
• Adept with Git version control system.
• Understanding of digital communication protocols (Ethernet, USB, asynchronous serial, CAN, SPI, I2C).
• Background in space flight avionics applications.
• Familiarity with automated testing methodologies and continuous integration practices.
• Familiarity reading circuit schematics and performing basic hardware debugging tasks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with operational control of a remotely controlled mission with large latencies.
• Experience with building and working with Ground Data Systems (GDS) or other Command and Control (C2) systems.
• Familiarity with vision-based autonomy and hazard avoidance.
• Skilled in Python scripting.
• Background in developing software for vehicles.
• Experience working with sensors and camera systems.
• Proficiency in building maintainable and versatile multithreaded and multi-process applications in an RTOS environment.

Pay

Base pay range for California applicants: $164,652.00 – $230,512.80. Other site ranges may differ.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Basic and supplemental life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short- and long-term disability.
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%.
• 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.
• Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and other discretionary rewards (dependent on role type and job level).

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin 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. A background check is required for all positions, with additional checks (e.g., DBIDS, DOT, or Merchant Mariner Credential) for certain roles.