Senior FPGA Team Lead Engineer

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 the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight.

As a Senior FPGA Design Team Lead within the Blue Engines avionics group, you will lead, mentor, and inspire a talented team of FPGA engineers. You will drive the architecture, design, and integration of FPGA-based solutions for high-reliability, safety-critical avionics systems across Blue's Engine programs.

We are looking for a passionate leader who excels in technical expertise, fosters collaborative teamwork, and is dedicated to designing FPGA solutions that advance safe human spaceflight. Bring your vision, rigor, and passion for our mission!

Ready to lead the next generation of spaceflight? Join us on our journey!

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor a team of FPGA design engineers to deliver robust, high-performance solutions meeting architecture and system requirements.
• Own and drive the FPGA design lifecycle, from requirements capture, architecture, RTL development, synthesis, and place-and-route through to timing closure and hardware integration.
• Coordinate and collaborate with verification, software, systems, and hardware teams to ensure seamless integration and verification of FPGA designs.
• Develop and review design documentation, including requirements, architectures, and design descriptions.
• Drive design reviews and ensure rigorous adherence to design and development processes for safety-critical systems.
• Define and implement best practices for FPGA development, documentation, and version control.
• Guide root cause analysis and design optimization during bring-up and integration with flight hardware.
• Support planning and scheduling activities to ensure timely delivery against program milestones.
• Foster a culture of innovation, growth, inclusion, and continuous improvement within the FPGA team.

Qualifications:

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
• 8+ years of experience in FPGA or ASIC design and implementation, with demonstrated project leadership or technical lead experience.
• Proven expertise in RTL design using VHDL and/or Verilog/SystemVerilog.
• Experience with FPGA architecture, synthesis, timing analysis, and hardware validation.
• Proficiency using major EDA tools (e.g., Xilinx Vivado/ISE, Intel Quartus, Lattice Diamond, Synopsys, Mentor/Siemens).
• Strong background in requirements-based engineering and system-level integration.
• Experience architecting and implementing complex digital subsystems (e.g., AXI, PCIe, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, custom communication protocols).
• Strong debugging skills for FPGA/ASIC hardware and HW/SW co-design scenarios.
• Proven track record as a technical mentor and/or team leader.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion

Desired:

• Experience collaborating with verification engineers and understanding coverage-driven verification concepts (UVM, formal, assertions), as well as developing or reviewing functional verification plans.
• Familiarity with safety-critical standards such as NPR 7150.2, DO-254, or similar.
• Familiarity with scripting languages (e.g., Python, Perl, TCL/Shell) for design automation and build flows.
• Experience managing regression and continuous integration infrastructure (e.g., GitLab).
• Experience with industry-standard IP cores and custom subsystem integration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical documentation and team coordination.

Compensation Range for:
WA applicants is $152,235.00-$213,127.95

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.

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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, Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

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.
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Discretionary bonus: Bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results.
• Eligibility for benefits varies by role type, please check with your recruiter for a comprehensive list of the benefits available for this role.

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, diverse, 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, in which all employees recognize and appreciate the diversity of individual team members. 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, gender, 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 "EEO Is the Law," please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

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