Senior Reliability Engineer – Hardware Systems

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute reliability test plans, including Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT), Highly Accelerated Stress Screen (HASS), and Environmental Stress Screening (ESS).
• Set up and oversee physical testing programs for weather-proofing, including ingress protection (IP67+ water/dust), UV exposure degradation, solar radiation, salt fog corrosion, and extreme thermal cycling.
• Lead deep-dive root cause failure analysis on electrical components, PCB solder joints, materials, and structural interfaces using tools like X-ray, microscopy, and cross-sectioning.
• Own ownership of DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis).
• Develop physics-of-failure models to predict product lifetime, Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), and warranty risks.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers on FEA/CFD results and electrical engineers on Power Delivery Network (PDN) profiles to target specific high-stress areas (thermal hotspots, high vibrational loads) during physical testing.
• Work with external test labs to validate regulatory compliance standards and ensure component suppliers meet strict quality and reliability baselines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or Reliability Engineering.
• 7+ years of experience in hardware reliability engineering, validation testing, or failure analysis for outdoor electronics, aerospace hardware, automotive systems, or telecom infrastructure.
• Direct experience operating environmental chambers, vibration/shaker tables, and electronic thermal cycle systems.
• Proficiency with reliability statistics and software tools (e.g., ReliaSoft, Minitab, JMP) to analyze life data using Weibull distributions and accelerated testing models.
• Prominent track record of leading cross-functional DFMEA sessions and translating failure risks into concrete hardware design modifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or Reliability Engineering.
• Understanding of long-term environmental degradation, micro-cracking, and moisture absorption in RF-transparent plastics (e.g., ASA, Polycarbonate, Composites).
• Knowledge of failure mechanisms in High-Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs, such as thermal fatigue of solder joints, tin whiskers, or board warpage under dynamic thermal loads.
• Familiarity with telecom and aerospace environmental standards, such as MIL-STD-810, IEC 60068, GR-487, or automotive AEC-Q100.

Pay

Base Pay Range For CA applicants is $197,529.00 - $276,539.55 WA applicants is $197,529.00 - $276,539.55 Other Site Ranges May Differ

Schedule

N/A