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Blue Origin · 2 weeks ago

MK2 Vehicle Engineering Flight Performance Principal Systems Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$165K/yr - $231K/yr

6+ years exp

Blue Origin is working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. The Flight Performance Systems Lead will lead cross-subsystem flight performance integration across MK2 mission phases, ensuring consistency in performance across various technical domains and collaborating with multiple teams to achieve mission objectives.

AerospaceManufacturingNational SecurityRenewable Energy

No H1B

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Own the cross-cutting flight performance integration and envelope: align assumptions, constraints, and margins that affect attitude, pointing, and control performance throughout the mission timeline

Define, derive, and track pointing and attitude-related requirements and TPMs: pointing accuracy/stability/jitter, slew rates and settle times, gimbal/actuator limits, keepout zones, FOV constraints, comm link geometry windows, solar incidence and powerpositive attitudes

Lead integration with GN&C and Fluids & Propulsion: ensure consistency between guidance profiles, control authority, engine/thruster duty cycles and throttling envelopes, pressure/thermal/ullage constraints, and plume/impingement keepouts

Interface with the Mission Design team (outside MK2): consume trajectory, ephemeris, and event timelines; reconcile dispersions and environments; maintain a clear handshake on inputs/outputs, updates, and change impacts

Coordinate the technical inputs to the MK2 and mission timelines including pointing profiles for comm/power/thermal/landing sensors

Define analysis cases and dispersions: nominal/offnominal/stress cases for pointing/attitude performance; coordinate Monte Carlo and 6DOF campaigns with GN&C; document assumptions, uncertainties, and sensitivities

Integrate analysis and test data: correlate models with subsystem and system tests (e.g., actuator dynamics, sensor performance, engine/transient behavior); update margins and uncertainties; capture verification evidence linked to requirements

Translate performance risks into flight rules and test objectives: propose ground/flight test points, instrumentation/data needs, and success criteria to reduce top uncertainties. Elevate flight performance risks and help the product teams define and manage mitigation strategies

Manage interfaces and data: publish definitions for inputs/outputs, units, reference frames, coordinate conventions, assumptions, and versioning; keep an authoritative assumptions/constraints log and decision history

Communicate crisply: provide executiveready briefings, dashboards, and review packages showing margins, risks, and decisions; deliver consistent content for reviews with actions tracked to closure

Operate the toolchain pragmatically:

Analysis/simulation: MATLAB/Python; STK or equivalent for geometry/coverage; 6DOF/Monte Carlo frameworks in collaboration with GN&C

Collaboration: Jama (requirements/verification linking), Jira (tasks and dependencies), Smartsheet/Baserow (structured registers), Confluence/SharePoint (artifacts and review prep); may coordinate with P6 schedulers (reader) for alignment to the IMS

Qualification

Flight dynamicsGN&C performanceSystems integrationMATLABPythonPointing performanceCollaboration toolsLunar mission experienceCommunication skillsProblem-solving

Required

6+ years of experience in flight dynamics, GN&C performance, or cross disciplinary systems integration on complex aerospace or spaceflight programs (8+ years preferred for senior ownership)

Demonstrated experience integrating pointing/attitude performance across subsystems and coordinating with GN&C and propulsion/fluids teams

Proficiency in MATLAB and/or Python; ability to run and post process simulation campaigns and create clear visualizations

Strong systems mindset: align assumptions across teams, resolve discrepancies, and communicate implications to design, test, and operations

Experience producing review ready performance artifacts and presenting in major design/test reviews

Familiarity with collaboration and requirements tools (Jama, Jira, Confluence/SharePoint) and working with schedulers to align to an IMS

Ability to work on-site and collaborate across time zones; ability to travel as needed to company, supplier, test, and customer sites

Preferred

MS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field

Lunar or planetary mission experience (descent/landing, ascent, prox ops) and familiarity with propulsion transients, throttling envelopes, and RCS operations

Experience defining and managing pointing budgets and TPMs; translating performance risks into flight rules and test objectives

Hands-on model correlation to test (actuator/sensor dynamics, control performance, thrust vector control) and incorporation of evidence into verification artifacts

Familiarity with NASA lifecycle and standards (e.g., NPR 7120/7123), analysis deliverables, and CDRLs

Tool depth a plus: STK/GMAT/Copernicus, Trick or similar 6DOF environments; Power BI/Tableau for dashboards; scripting for data plumbing between tools

Demonstrated collaboration with Power/Thermal/Mass Properties integration and comm/coverage analysis for pointing windows