Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer I - Early Career (2026 Starts)

About the Role

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! This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Multiple positions are available across our Business Units, and you will be matched with an appropriate engineering team based on your skillset, experience, and our current business needs.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, develop, and verify guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) software for spaceflight systems.
• Build on existing human-rated GN&C software to improve reliability, enable capabilities, and reduce operating costs.
• Perform system analyses, including simulations and Monte-Carlo, to satisfy specifications and requirements and drive system-level architectural decisions.
• Work on projects that may include guidance, navigation, controls, autonomy, avionics, simulation, mission design, trajectory optimization, system test, aero sciences, and systems engineering.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in physics, aerospace engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or other relevant engineering field.
• Degree earned within the last year and ability to start by Fall 2026.
• Demonstrated knowledge in designing and testing control systems for aerospace vehicles or mechanical and fluidic subsystems.
• Fundamental understanding of dynamics, orbital mechanics, estimation, and control theory.
• Practical experience in guidance, navigation, and controls algorithm development and analysis for aerospace or mobile robotic applications.
• Strong software and model development skills, particularly in MATLAB/Simulink and C/C++.
• Relevant internship/co-op and/or hands-on experience demonstrating both technical skills and leadership qualities.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and strengthen our culture of inclusion.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team on rapid development programs.
• Flexible and adaptable mindset.
• Self-driven with the ability to seek out requirements with minimal direction.

Desired Qualifications

• M.S. degree or PhD in physics, aerospace engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or another relevant STEM field.
• Knowledge of multi-body dynamics, flexible body dynamics, gas and fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics.
• Experience with modeling electro-mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical subsystems.
• Experience anchoring/fitting first principles models to test data or high-fidelity external simulations using system identification or other numerical methods.
• Experience developing and verifying physical models for control design, component sizing, and system performance evaluation.
• Experience with Spacecraft Systems Engineering and Monte Carlo simulation testing.
• Experience supporting flight testing or launch operations.
• Experience supporting component-level testing and/or flight testing.
• Ability to continuously manage risk and become comfortable with lean software development techniques.
• Proven system engineering and configuration management skills.
• Experience with Python and Linux environments.
• Experience with Verification and Validation.

How to Prepare

We value broad academic and industry experiences such as Tech, Oil & Gas, Nuclear, Automotive, and more. When you apply, include your internship, co-curricular, and research experience in your resume. Please also include the relevant programming languages you have used in these settings. If you haven’t yet used a tool in a professional setting, include relevant coursework that demonstrates your preparation for these roles.

Pay

Base pay ranges:

• VA: $87,816.00 - $122,942.40
• CO: $80,499.00 - $112,697.55
• WA: $87,816.00 - $122,942.40

Other site ranges may differ.

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%.
• 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 bonuses based on individual contributions and company performance.

Primary Locations: Kent, WA | Denver, CO | Reston, VA

Timeline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.