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!
As a member of the Blue Origin family of companies Honeybee Robotics has been at the forefront of robotics for over 40 years, establishing ourselves as pioneers in developing novel exploration systems for the most extreme planetary environments. At our Southern California location, we look to "Touch Life" by supporting planetary science, including every NASA Mars rover since Spirit and Opportunity. We aim to "Mine the Sky" through the development of practical In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) solutions. We search for technically brilliant individuals in engineering, software, and support fields who take ownership of their work, enjoy collaborating in teams, and have a laser focus on the details that drive excellence.As a member of the Blue Origin family of companies Honeybee Robotics has been at the forefront of robotics for over 40 years, establishing ourselves as pioneers in developing novel exploration systems for the most extreme planetary environments. At our Southern California location, we look to "Touch Life" by supporting planetary science, including every NASA Mars rover since Spirit and Opportunity. We aim to "Mine the Sky" through the development of practical In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) solutions. We search for technically brilliant individuals in engineering, software, and support fields who take ownership of their work, enjoy collaborating in teams, and have a laser focus on the details that drive excellence.
HBR is now building a family of robotic lunar rovers to support NASA science and technology missions. The first for the CP-21 mission will carry NASA’s Lunar-VISE instruments on a 1 km scientific traverse across Gruithuisen Gamma Dome; the second for the CT-4 mission will carry NASA's NIRVSS instrument on a 2 km traverse into permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole. These vehicles require onboard sensing and autonomous navigation capabilities to traverse multiple kilometers through hazardous terrain per lunar day.
About the role
HBR is hiring a rover autonomy lead on our CT-4 lunar rover. You will lead the implementation of an onboard classical perception and navigation system that enables the rover to map the surrounding terrain and avoid hazards in real time. You will own this capability and drive it from concept through field testing and flight operations. Collaboration is key and you will work with Honeybee’s scientists, engineering teams, and program management to bring exciting new products from concept to production. You'll have the opportunity and funding to innovate and improve robust autonomous exploration systems and will build lasting capability across HBR's rover product lines.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Lead efforts in coding, testing and validation of vehicle control software
- Manage software field deployments and provide support on-site and remotely to customers.
- Work with stakeholders to derive and own software system requirements and schedules.
- Evaluate and identify improvements to system design with a specific focus on robust autonomy.
- Collaborate with scientists, engineering managers, product management, and program management to drive new product development programs from concept to production.
- Write requirements and specification documents.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
- More than 10 years of hands-on experience in software development for embedded platforms.
- Proficient in developing baremetal applications using C/C++.
- Background in spaceflight avionics applications.
- Proficient in applying testing frameworks and conducting unit tests.
- Proficient in writing drivers for various types of sensors.
- Basic understanding of electromechanical systems (motors, actuators, controls).
- Experience crafting autonomous safety-critical fault recovery code.
- Proven experience crafting reliable software architectures for critical systems.
- Adept with Git version control system.
- Understanding of digital communication protocols (Ethernet, USB, asynchronous serial, CAN, SPI, I2C).
- Familiarity with automated testing methodologies and continuous integration practices.
- Familiarity reading circuit schematics and performing basic hardware debugging tasks.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience of operational control of a remotely controlled mission with large latencies
- Experience with building and working with GDS or other C2 systems
- Familiarity with vision based autonomy and hazard avoidance
- Skilled in Python scripting.
- Background in developing software for vehicles.
- Experienced in working with sensors and camera systems.
- Experience with localization
- Proficiency in building maintainable and versatile multithreaded and multi-process applications in an RTOS environment.
Base Pay Range for:
CA applicants is $230,773.00 - $323,081.85Other 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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering
- More than 10 years of hands-on embedded software development experience
- Proficiency developing bare-metal applications using C and C++
- Background in spaceflight avionics applications
- Experience with testing frameworks and unit testing
- Experience writing drivers for various sensors
- Basic understanding of electromechanical systems, including motors, actuators, and controls
- Experience developing autonomous safety-critical fault-recovery code
- Experience creating reliable software architectures for critical systems
- Proficiency with Git version control
- Understanding of Ethernet, USB, asynchronous serial, CAN, SPI, and I2C protocols
- Familiarity with automated testing and continuous integration
- Familiarity reading circuit schematics and performing basic hardware debugging
- Experience operating remotely controlled missions with significant communication latency
- Experience building or working with GDS or other command-and-control systems
- Familiarity with vision-based autonomy and hazard avoidance
- Python scripting skills
- Background developing software for vehicles
- Experience working with sensors and camera systems
- Experience with localization
- Proficiency building maintainable multithreaded and multiprocess applications in an RTOS environment
Blue Origin Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Blue Origin and has not been reviewed or approved by Blue Origin.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is offered through a major national carrier with PPO and HDHP options, broad networks, virtual care, and in‑network preventive care fully covered. Feedback suggests the medical, dental, and vision setup is straightforward and comprehensive.
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Retirement Support — A simple 401(k) structure matches a set portion of employee contributions each pay period, making savings predictable. Feedback suggests this match is a consistent pillar of the total rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO accrues to roughly four weeks annually and most federal holidays are observed, with some years including additional floating days. Feedback suggests time‑off breadth is a notable part of the package, even as details can vary by role and year.
Blue Origin Insights
What We Do
Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue is working on this today by developing partially and fully reusable launch vehicles that are safe, low cost and serve the needs of all civil, commercial and defense customers.
