Radiation Effects Engineer - Sr. Principal

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

About the role

Blue Origin’s Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE) team drives innovation, engineering workflows, shared solutions, and manufacturable design to support the mission of millions of people living and working in space. As a member of the Radiation Effects team, you will lead process improvements and end‑to‑end analysis optimizations across the radiation effects workflow, engaging program leadership and engineers from mission inception through operation.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship – Serve as subject‑matter expert on electronics part performance and space radiation environments; mentor engineers and guide multidisciplinary teams on analysis outcomes, requirement interpretation, and risk mitigation.
• Process Improvement & Strategy – Drive automation and tooling initiatives, develop roadmaps for radiation testing, analysis, and research, and champion continuous improvement in engineering practices and data governance.
• Data Systems & Test Standards – Architect systems and processes (e.g., Radiation Test Database) that make radiation test data usable and traceable; set technical standards for component and assembly qualification against radiation criteria.
• Industry Engagement – Maintain cutting‑edge expertise through interaction with industry experts, customers, and technical publications on emerging technologies and radiation concerns.
• Requirements & Risk Analysis – Translate mission parameters into radiation environment definitions and effects requirements; quantify mission risk via upset‑rate modeling and failure analysis.
• Circuit Analysis & Mitigation – Model and validate performance of digital, analog, and mixed‑signal circuits under radiation exposure; identify and verify hardening techniques with design and manufacturing stakeholders.
• Component Engineering & Qualification – Guide part selection, sourcing, and qualification across the component lifecycle; coordinate with reliability and sourcing functions to sustain a robust radiation‑tolerant parts baseline.
• Documentation & Decision Support – Author and interpret control plans, requirements documents, technical memos, and comprehensive analyses that inform key company decisions.
• Safety & Regulatory Adherence – Operate in accordance with organizational and regulatory radiation safety standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Nuclear Science, or a related field.
• 15+ years of direct experience designing, analyzing, and/or testing radiation effects on electronics and materials, including avionics hardware for space environments.
• Expert‑level understanding of radiation effects on commercial and rad‑hardened components, semiconductor devices, and ability to assess radiation susceptibility from design documentation.
• Proficiency with analysis and modeling tools such as IRENE, OMERE, SPENVIS, OLTARIS, CREME96, MCNP, FASTRAD, GEANT4, and statistical risk‑assessment methods.
• Strong familiarity with radiation test laboratory equipment (power supplies, DAQ systems, electronic loads, SMUs) and general electronics lab skills (soldering, harnessing, oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers).
• Extensive experience developing software solutions that support engineering workflows (hardware test automation, data management); proficient in Python, C, SQL, web technologies, version control, I²C, SPI.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects independently from inception to completion with sound judgment on all aspects of radiation effects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; extensive experience producing control plans, test plans/reports, design reviews, and system‑level analyses.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, maintain positive cross‑team relationships, and contribute to an inclusive culture.
• Completion of radiation safety coursework and adherence to dose‑exposure protocols.
• Eligibility: U.S. citizen, U.S. national, current Green Card holder, or lawfully admitted refugee/asylee; domestic travel required, occasional international travel possible.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in component engineering with experience influencing part reliability and availability decisions in coordination with sourcing organizations.
• Familiarity with radiation assessments and mitigation strategies for human spaceflight crews and spacecraft materials.

Pay

Base Pay Range: $190,458 – $266,641 (Colorado applicants); $194,121 – $271,768 (Washington applicants). Other site ranges may differ.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short‑ and long‑term disability coverage.
• 401(k) with company match up to 5%.
• Education Support Program.
• Stock options for all regular employees (working ≥20 hours/week).
• Paid Time Off: up to 4 weeks per year based on scheduled hours, plus up to 14 company‑paid holidays.
• Additional performance‑based bonuses and benefits at the company’s discretion.

Culture

Blue Origin encourages candidates who may not meet every desired qualification to apply. The company is dedicated to building an authentic workplace where diverse experiences are valued, and where passionate problem‑solvers can contribute to the history of spaceflight.