Principal Hardware Engineer – TeraWave Network Switch Platform

About this role

Application close date: Applications 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!   

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.

Principal Hardware Engineer – Network Switch Platform  

Blue Origin's Emerging Systems business unit is building  TeraWave , a satellite communications constellation powered by the most advanced optical communications   archite cture ever   attempted : thousands of optically interconnected satellites delivering symmetrical data speeds of up to 6   Tbps   anywhere on Earth, providing enterprise and hyperscale customers with resilient, scalable   connectivity for critical operations where terrestrial infrastructure cannot reach.  

You will own the end- to- end hardware design of the switching subsystem from   high-speed Ethernet switch and PHY integration to   power   archite cture ,   embedded management controllers , and   high-speed PCB layout. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who has designed and shipped complex electronic products in fast-moving environments and wants to apply that experience to hardware   o perating   at orbital scale.  

Special Mentions:

• Relocation   assistance   is available for qualified candidates.  

• Travel: Up to 25%.  

Responsibilities:  

Embedded Management & Microprocessor   Archite cture  

• Archite ct BMC subsystems using   MPSoC , ARM, or RISC-V microprocessors to   monitor   line card health, thermal sensors, and voltage rails.  

• Design and integrate low-level communication buses (I2C, SPI,   PMBus ,   SMBus , RS-485, CAN) for hardware telemetry and sequencing control.  

• D evelop hardware watchdog circuits and redundant boot sequences for fault recovery.   Enable in-flight firmware   reprogrammability   via ground link, including secure update and rollback mechanisms.  

Power Distribution & Regulation  

• Archite ct high - reliability power distribution with autonomous sequencing, redundant paths (e.g., ORing controllers), and fault isolation to   eliminate   single points of failure.  

• Specify and integrate radiation-hardened or radiation-tolerant components rated for SEE and TID in the target orbital environment.  

• Design power stages for thermal-vacuum operation, emphasizing high-efficiency topologies and conduction/radiation thermal transfer.  

• Archite ct low-noise power trees using high-PSRR LDOs and multi-stage LC filtering to protect sensitive analog and high-speed digital lanes.  

Signal & Power Integrity  

• Lead SPICE-based transient analysis and hardware validation of load step responses, switching transients, and voltage ripple to millivolt-level tolerances.  

• Develop EMI/EMC mitigation strategies — grounding   archite cture, decoupling optimization, power/signal plane isolation — to prevent crosstalk between power distribution and high-speed data paths.  

Hardware Design, Integration & Test  

• Lead multi-layer PCB design for switch line cards:   stackup   definition, impedance-controlled routing, thermal management, and DFM.  

• Manage CCA BOM procurement, vendor coordination, and assembly oversight.  

• Integrate BSPs, SDKs, and device drivers for Ethernet switching and network processor components in collaboration with firmware and software teams.  

• Architect and bring up high-performance Ethernet switching systems, including NPU/switch ASIC integration, PHY and SerDes tuning, VLAN configuration, and MAC-level validation across high-density line cards.  

• Resolve complex hardware-software interface issues across L1 and L2, including physical layer bring-up, transceiver integration, and MAC-level debugging.  

• Lead factory acceptance testing, physical layer validation (optical transceivers, high-density copper), and commissioning of switch hardware.  

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering , Computer Engineering, or a related field.  

• 10+ years of experience in hardware design, power electronics, or embedded systems in a product development environment.  

• Track record   of designing and shipping complex electronic products through development into production.  

• Experience designing multi-layer PCBs with high-speed digital interfaces and mixed-signal power distribution;   proficiency   in Altium, Cadence, or equivalent.  

• Hands-on experience designing and integrating high-speed Ethernet switch hardware, including network processors ( NPU s), SerDes interfaces, and optical or copper PHY technologies.  

• Strong knowledge of power supply design (DC-DC converters, LDOs, sequencing, transient analysis) with hands-on SPICE simulation experience.  

• Experience with embedded microprocessor design (ARM, RISC-V, or similar) including BSP integration and peripheral bus bring-up (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN).  

• Practical EMI/EMC mitigation and signal/power integrity analysis experience.  

• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills.  

Preferred Qualifications: • Master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering .   • 15+ years of relevant experience.   • Experience with radiation effects on electronics (SEE, TID, displacement damage) and mitigation techniques.   • Experience designing electronics for space, aviation, or other high-reliability thermal-vacuum environ

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