Systems Engineer III (RF / Microwave Systems)

This role may be performed from any of Blue Origin's primary U.S. locations, including but not limited to: Kent, WA; Denver, CO; Huntsville, AL; Reston, VA; Los Angeles, CA. Relocation assistance is available. Travel expectation: up to 10%. An active TS//SCI security clearance is required prior to start.

About the role

As a Systems Engineer III (RF/Microwave Systems), you will be part of the Blue National Security business unit, focused on delivering advanced space-based capabilities in support of national security missions. Within the Special Programs organization, this team operates at the forefront of mission engineering and architecture, developing next-generation space systems that address the most demanding and consequential challenges in the defense domain.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain system-level requirements for advanced space-based sensing systems, ensuring traceability from mission objectives through subsystem specifications
• Conduct system architecture trade studies and analyses to evaluate design alternatives, performance margins, and technical feasibility
• Author and review key systems engineering artifacts including Concepts of Operations (CONOPs), System Requirements Documents (SRDs), Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and Systems Engineering Management Plans (SEMPs)
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including payload, spacecraft, ground systems, and mission operations to ensure end-to-end system coherence
• Support design reviews and provide technical inputs to R&D program milestones
• Perform link budget analyses and RF system performance assessments relevant to space-based sensing architectures
• Study the design, analyze, and optimize UHF-band antenna systems, including aperture sizing, beam pattern characterization, polarization, and gain/noise performance in the space environment
• Evaluate antenna integration trades including deployable structures, phased array configurations, and feed network design at UHF frequencies
• Engage with government customers and mission partners to understand operational needs and translate them into actionable system requirements
• Support risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical performance measurement (TPM) tracking throughout the program lifecycle

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline
• 5+ years of experience in systems engineering within the aerospace, defense, or national security domain
• Demonstrated experience with UHF-band antenna design, including analysis of antenna performance parameters (gain, beamwidth, polarization, impedance matching) in space or airborne environments
• Experience with phased array antenna systems, including electronically steered arrays (ESAs) at UHF frequencies
• Proficiency in RF system performance analysis, including link budgets and system noise figure calculations
• Experience developing and managing system-level requirements using requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, or equivalent)
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes and standards (e.g., NASA/DoD SE frameworks, MIL-STD-499, or equivalent)
• Experience with space-based RF sensing or surveillance system architectures
• Familiarity with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) or Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) signal processing concepts and their implications on system design
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear technical documentation and present to different audiences
• Active TS//SCI security clearance
• 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 in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
• Experience with radar system performance modeling tools (e.g., MATLAB, STK, or custom simulation environments)
• Familiarity with space environment effects on RF systems, including ionospheric propagation, Faraday rotation, and thermal cycling impacts on antenna structures
• Prior experience working within a Special Programs or classified program environment
• Experience interfacing with DoD or Intelligence Community (IC) customers

Pay

• CA applicants: $130,706.00 - $182,987.70
• CO applicants: $119,814.00 - $167,738.55
• WA applicants: $130,706.00 - $182,987.70
• VA applicants: $130,706.00 - $182,987.70
• 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 additional benefits and bonuses