Radiation Engineer – Spacecraft & Payloads

BLUE ORIGIN

. Develop, maintain, and execute the TeraWave radiation hardness assurance plan for LEO and MEO spacecraft, payloads, avionics, EPS, propulsion electronics, sensors, optical devices, and solar-array technologies .

Posted 9/29/2026full-timeUnited StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $144,179 - $219,522 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in spacecraft radiation effects, including TID and SEE mechanisms, radiation environment modeling, and electronic design mitigation. Proficient in translating mission requirements into radiation specifications and collaborating across engineering disciplines to ensure compliance and risk management.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Spacecraft Radiation EffectsRadiation Hardness Assurance (RHA)Radiation Test Data InterpretationRadiation Environment ModelingElectronic Design Mitigation

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Radiation Environment ModelingShielding AnalysisDose-Depth AnalysisPart-Location AnalysisRadiation Requirements DerivationFailure Threshold EvaluationMission SEE Rate CalculationBOM ScreeningRadiation Risk AssessmentTechnical Work Planning

Soft Skills

CommunicationCollaborationProblem-Solving

Tools & Technologies

Radiation Test FacilitiesElectronic DevicesOptoelectronicsFPGAsRF Electronics

Industry Keywords

LEO MissionsMEO MissionsJEDECASTMMIL-STD-883NASA EEE-INST-002Radiation Test StandardsTrapped ParticlesGalactic Cosmic RaysSolar Particle Events

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ElectronRay

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop, maintain, and execute the TeraWave radiation hardness assurance plan for LEO and MEO spacecraft, payloads, avionics, EPS, propulsion electronics, sensors, optical devices, and solar-array technologies
Define and control external and internal radiation environments over mission lifetimes, including trapped particles, solar particle events, galactic cosmic rays, TID, DDD/TNID, and SEE
Translate mission orbit, duration, confidence level, shielding, duty cycle, and availability needs into radiation requirements for systems, subsystems, units, circuits, and EEE parts
Establish and maintain radiation design-margin policy with risk- and criticality-based tiers and documented rationale
Perform or direct shielding, dose-depth, sectoring/ray-trace, and part-location analyses
Evaluate EEE parts and optoelectronics for SEE, TID, enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity, DDD, and application-specific failure thresholds
Calculate mission SEE rates and translate device events into circuit, box, subsystem, and system effects
Partner with EEE Parts Engineering to screen BOMs, assess heritage and vendor data, disposition radiation risk, and define testing or procurement controls
Partner with electrical, RF, optical, and avionics designers on radiation mitigation
Support solar-array degradation predictions and end-of-life power assurance with Solar and EPS teams
Maintain the radiation risk register, evidence status, waivers/deviations, open tests, and residual risk
Support design reviews and flight-readiness decisions
Monitor emerging radiation-effects data and provide application-specific guidance for new technologies and electronic devices

Requirements

What you’ll need

B.S. in electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, physics, aerospace engineering, materials science, or a related technical discipline
5+ years of experience in spacecraft radiation effects, RHA, radiation test, electronic-device physics, or a closely related field
Demonstrated knowledge of TID and SEE mechanisms, radiation environment modeling, shielding, and electronic design mitigation
Experience interpreting radiation test data and determining applicability to a specific part, lot, operating condition, circuit, and mission
Ability to derive and communicate radiation requirements, margins, assumptions, uncertainty, and residual risk across multiple engineering disciplines
Ability to plan and execute technical work with external radiation test facilities and part suppliers
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident/current Green Card holder, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum
Preferred: M.S. or Ph.D. in radiation effects, electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, physics, or a related field
Preferred: Experience with both LEO and MEO missions and trapped-electron/proton environments
Preferred: Experience testing or analyzing commercial and automotive-grade electronics, FPGAs, memories, power devices, RF electronics, and optoelectronics
Preferred: Familiarity with JEDEC, ASTM, ESCC, MIL-STD-883, NASA EEE-INST-002, and radiation test standards/guidance
Preferred: Experience connecting device-level radiation response to hardware reliability, availability, system performance, and fleet operations
Preferred: Experience with radiation effects on photovoltaic cells, coverglass, optical materials, polymers, adhesives, or coatings
Required to pass Blue’s Standard Background Check; additional checks may apply to certain job profiles

Benefits

Comp & perks

Relocation provided
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability
401(k) with company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Stock options for all regular employees working at least 20 hours/week
Up to four weeks of paid time off per year based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays
Potential benefits and bonuses based on role type, job level, individual contributions, and company results