{"id":355792,"url":"https://alion.io/job/blue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal","title":"Principal Hardware Systems Architect – User Terminal","company":{"id":3698,"name":"Blue Origin","domain":"blueorigin.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/blueorigin","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":92,"open_postings":262,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.313,"repost_share":0.004,"time_to_fill_p50_days":43,"computed_at":"2026-10-22T06:10:10Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Seattle, United States","Cupertino, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":230773,"max":323081,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":323081},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-20","last_verified_at":"2026-10-22T03:59:12Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":73,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":73},"description":"Application close date:\nApplications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.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!\nBlue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based connectivity with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This network will service tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations.We are seeking a Principal Hardware Systems Architect to define and lead the end-to-end architecture of our next-generation satellite user terminal. In this role, you will own system-level hardware design across RF antenna arrays, high-speed digital processing, power systems, and mechanical integration.\nYou will drive the technical roadmap, make critical architectural and component trade-offs, and guide a cross-functional engineering team to deliver a high-performance, cost-optimized product at scale.\nCore Responsibilities\nOwn the end-to-end system block diagram, defining the hardware architecture, power distribution, data pathways, and grounding schemes for the user terminal.\nEvaluate and select critical components, including main SoCs, high-speed transceivers, memory, and peripherals, balancing performance, power efficiency, and bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.\nAct as the primary technical anchor connecting RF, Electrical, Mechanical, and Embedded Software teams to resolve multi-disciplinary interface challenges.\nDefine the thermal dissipation strategy and high-voltage power delivery frameworks to support high-power beamforming states.\nDrive the hardware through the entire product lifecycle from initial architecture to global, high-volume mass manufacturing, partnering closely with contract manufacturers (CMs) and suppliers to optimize assembly yields, execute factory test strategies, and reduce unit costs.\nEstablish the technical metrics, validation plans, and compliance strategies required for international wireless deployment (FCC Part 25/15, CE, ETSI).\nRequired Qualifications\nMaster’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a highly related technical field.\n10+ years of hardware engineering experience, with 4+ years acting as a Principal Systems Architect or Lead Architect delivering complex wireless, radar, or satellite communication products.\nDeep technical understanding of phased array antenna physics, digital beamforming architectures, high-speed digital buses (PCIe, SerDes, Ethernet), and RF front-ends.\nStrong background in defining layout constraints for massive, multi-layer mixed-signal boards, with a focus on strict signal/power integrity and EMI containment.\nProven track record of architecting hardware intended for high-volume manufacturing, with deep knowledge of DFM/DFA constraints and supply chain trade-offs.\nPreferred Qualifications\nUnderstanding of the interaction between RF-transparent radome polymers (like ASA or polycarbonates), hydrophobic coatings, and high-frequency microwave arrays.\nPrevious engineering leadership role in a major Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or Geostationary (GEO) user terminal development program.\nBase Pay Range for:\nCA applicants is $230,773.00 - $323,081.85\nWA applicants is $230,773.00 - $323,081.85Other site ranges may differ\nCulture Statement\nDon’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.\nExport Control Regulations\nApplicants 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.\nBackground Check\nRequired for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check\nRequired 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\nRequired 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.\nRequired 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\nBenefits\nBenefits 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.\nStock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)\nPaid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.\nDependent 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. \nEqual Employment Opportunity\nBlue 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.\nAffirmative Action and Disability Accommodation\nApplicants 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 . Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7889,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Life insurance","Parental leave","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Launch Services","Space Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-05T19:14:39Z"},{"event":"close","at":"2026-10-19T21:36:45Z"},{"event":"reopen","at":"2026-10-20T17:01:53Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"Filed H-1B visas in the last two years","filings_12m":0,"filings_prev_12m":1,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":null,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":26,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.713,"p_room":0.36,"age_days":73,"expected_fill_days":43,"reasons":["conf:2","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-22T06:10:10Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":323081,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/blue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/blue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-22T14:35:59Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":14165,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-23T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3698},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3698"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fblue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fblue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fblue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/blue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fblue-origin-principal-hardware-systems-architect-user-terminal"}]}