Senior Controls Engineer – Electro-mechanical Products

Blue Origin · Longmont, CO

Apply on Blue Origin ↗

Level: Senior
Team: Controls
Base pay: $144k–$202k
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 15+ years
Industry: Aerospace & defense
Posted: 10 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A senior controls role at Blue Origin (aerospace & defense) in Longmont, CO.

They ask for: 15+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Root cause, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Robotics
Base pay: $144k–$202k

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

How this role compares

Against 15 other live controls postings in Colorado.

Base pay: About 43% above similar roles
Experience asked: More than usual (15+ vs 6+)

Skills these teams ask for most

Automation 81%
PLC 75%
✓ Robotics 44%
✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 31%
✓ Root cause 25%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for New product launch, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 15+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone on the team first.

At a glance

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Blue Origin
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: Blue Origin in Longmont

3 other open roles at this site.

Electro - Mechanical Technician II · Reliability · Technician
Manufacturing Engineer II - Electronics Fabrication · Manufacturing
Manufacturing Engineer III - Electronics Fabrication · Manufacturing · Senior

Full description from Blue OriginAs posted on their careers site.Show

Responsibilities

◆Lead the system architecture,

requirements

development, design, implementation, integration, test, and qualification of reaction wheels and momentum-control systems.

✓Develop and mature control algorithms for reaction wheel applications, including speed, torque/current, momentum management, fault detection, and safe-mode behaviors.
✓Design motor-control solutions for spacecraft actuators, including PMSM/BLDC motors, field-oriented control, space-vector PWM, commutation, current control, and speed-control loops.
✓Develop real-time embedded control architectures, including functional decomposition, hardware selection, processor/FPGA partitioning, timing analysis, and software-layer definition.
✓Oversee FPGA design and implementation activities for motor-control and actuator systems, including multi-axis or time-division multiplexed control architectures.
✓Lead embedded flight software development, including bootloaders, scheduling, system management, mode control, command/telemetry interfaces, and health monitoring.
✓Define and implement Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) strategies for actuator electronics and software.
✓Perform dynamic-system modeling, controls analysis, simulation, and validation using tools such as MATLAB/Simulink and real-time simulation environments.
✓Lead integration and test of motors, sensors, power electronics, FPGA firmware, embedded software, and mechanical assemblies.
✓Develop verification approaches, test procedures, and data-analysis methods for component- and system-level testing.
✓Oversee electrical, mechanical, GNC, systems engineering, manufacturing, reliability, and mission teams to deliver robust, producible flight hardware.
✓Provide technical mentorship, design leadership, and review support for engineers across controls, FPGA, and embedded software disciplines.
✓Support anomaly resolution, root-cause investigations, and continuous improvements for development and operational systems.

Qualifications

✓Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
✓15+ years of direct experience designing, developing, testing, and deploying Reaction Wheel Assemblies , reaction wheel control systems, or closely related spacecraft actuator systems.
✓Demonstrated experience developing control algorithms and real-time control systems for precision electromechanical systems.
✓Extensive motor-control experience, including three-phase PMSM or BLDC drives, field-oriented control, space-vector PWM, current/torque control, and speed-control loops.
✓Experience designing and implementing embedded control systems, including hardware/software partitioning, processor selection, timing architecture, and real-time execution.
✓Experience with FPGA-based controls implementation and development workflows.
✓Proficiency in C and/or C++ for embedded applications.
✓Experience with MATLAB/Simulink for controls modeling, simulation, analysis, and/or embedded code generation.
✓Experience with embedded processors, DSPs, microcontrollers, and/or FPGA platforms such as TI DSP, ARM, Xilinx, MicroBlaze, Microsemi, or equivalent.
✓Experience with real-time operating systems, schedulers, or deterministic embedded architectures, such as VxWorks, Green Hills, or custom bare-metal/scheduler-based systems.
✓Experience implementing embedded-system fundamentals, including serial communications, memory and peripheral management, timers, counters, watchdogs, bootloaders, and hardware bring-up.
✓Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and mechanical drawings.
✓Hands-on laboratory experience with oscilloscopes, logic/protocol analyzers, power supplies, signal generators, embedded debug tools, and electromechanical assembly/test equipment.

Preferred Qualifications

✓Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Controls, Robotics, or a related discipline.
✓Experience developing small-satellite or spacecraft attitude-control hardware.
✓Experience with control moment systems, including multi-axis control, gimbal/motor control, momentum management, and primary/secondary system configurations.
✓Experience developing flight

Show full description ↓

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!

This role is part of Blue National Security (BNS), where our focus is the design, development, and delivery of launch and spacecraft systems for national security missions. Through Blue Ring, our all-in-one, high-powered hybrid solar-electric and chemical-propelled spacecraft, we provide unmatched mission maneuverability, versatility, and capacity at dramatically lower-profile costs.

Role Overview

BNS Core Systems and Components is seeking a highly experienced Senior Controls Engineer to lead the architecture, development, integration, and qualification of spacecraft attitude-control actuators and momentum-management systems. This role will focus on Reaction Wheel Assemblies (RWAs), associated motor-control electronics, embedded flight software, FPGA development, and control algorithms.

The ideal candidate brings 15+ years of direct experience developing reaction wheel systems for aerospace applications, with deep technical expertise spanning controls modeling and implementation, electric motor drives, embedded systems, and hardware/software integration. This engineer will serve as a technical leader across the full product lifecycle, from concept development through flight qualification, production, and on-orbit support.