Flight Software Test Lead Engineer - TeraWave

Application close date:

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!

Blue Origin is seeking an experienced Flight Software Test Lead Engineer to drive verification and validation efforts for our TeraWave satellite constellation. In this role, you will lead a team of test engineers responsible for ensuring flight software reliability, safety, and performance across our next-generation satellite platform. You will own the test strategy from component qualification through system-level integration, working closely with systems engineers, flight software developers, avionics engineers, fault management engineers, and other test leads to deliver flight-ready software for a large-scale LEO constellation.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead the design, development, and execution of comprehensive test plans and procedures for flight software across satellite bus and payload subsystems
• Define and maintain the overall FSW verification and validation strategy, including component qualification, integration, regression, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
• Collaborate directly with systems engineering, flight software, avionics, fault management, and peer test leads to develop automated tests that verify component qualification and system-level requirements
• Architect and maintain scalable test execution frameworks in Python (or equivalent) capable of operating seamlessly across software-only environments, software & hardware bench environments, and full hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) configurations - not just individual test scripts, but the underlying execution infrastructure
• Manage a team of test engineers, providing technical guidance, mentorship, and performance feedback
• Own the end-to-end test campaign management process, including:
  • Mapping system and software requirements to individual test cases with full traceability
  • Tracking test execution status, results, and associated artifacts
  • Producing verification documentation sufficient to close requirements at milestone reviews
• Coordinate test campaigns using flight software testbeds, simulators, and hardware-in-the-loop rigs to validate software behavior under nominal and off-nominal conditions
• Collaborate with FSW developers to establish testability requirements early in the software design lifecycle
• Own defect tracking, root cause analysis, and closure processes for issues identified during test
• Support software qualification and certification activities, ensuring compliance with mission assurance and safety requirements
• Participate in test readiness reviews, test result reviews, and flight readiness reviews
• Drive continuous improvement of test processes, tools, and methodologies to increase constellation production velocity
• Support anomaly investigations and regression testing during on-orbit operations

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical field
• 7+ years of experience in software testing, verification and validation, or software quality engineering, with at least 2+ years in a technical leadership capacity
• Demonstrated experience testing embedded or real-time flight/mission-critical software
• Strong proficiency in Python for both test script development and test execution architecture design, with the ability to build and maintain frameworks that function across multiple test environments (software-only, software & hardware, and HWIL)
• Proven experience managing test campaigns with rigorous requirements traceability - mapping requirements to test cases, tracking results, and generating verification artifacts for formal milestone closeout
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and simulation environments
• Familiarity with software development lifecycle processes for safety-critical or mission-critical systems
• Experience with requirements management and test traceability tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, JIRA)
• Strong understanding of version control systems (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
• 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 a relevant engineering discipline
• Experience testing flight software for satellites, spacecraft, or other aerospace vehicles
• Familiarity with satellite constellation operations, including onboard autonomy, fault management, and command & data handling (C&DH) systems
• Experience with flight software architectures (e.g., cFS, VxWorks, RTOS environments)
• Knowledge of communication protocols relevant to satellite systems (CCSDS, SpaceWire, CAN, MIL-STD-1553)
• Experience supporting on-orbit anomaly resolution and software patch/update campaigns
• Prior experience in a high-rate production environment supporting multiple concurrent satellite builds

Base Pay Range for:

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.
• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include: 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%, and an 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 benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.