Embedded Automation Architect — Factory Automation Group

Job 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 Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities. The Embedded Automation Architect sits within a specific Blue Origin business unit (New Glenn, Engines, Lunar, In-Space Systems, or a production site) while reporting into the central Factory Automation Group. You are the single point of automation strategy for that business unit: you build its complete multi-year automation roadmap against Blue's shared automation backbone, decide what to automate and in what order, resolve make-versus-buy, and shepherd projects from concept through the central Factory Automation build teams to production. This is an architect and technical-leadership role, not a single-cell build role — you will set the technical direction that hands-on controls and mechanical engineers then execute, and you will be measured on the roadmap you originate and the recurring cost your automation removes, not on machines you personally wire. You set the technical direction — increasingly AI-enabled — for how a business unit's work gets automated, from machine-generated programming through in-process ML quality to the reasoning layers behind automated part buyoff, and you work AI-natively yourself, using and where useful building the tools that make a small automation team move faster. You bring deep, credible controls and robotics expertise — enough to earn the trust of the build engineers and to review their work — and you apply it at the level of a program's whole automation footprint rather than one machine at a time. Once a business unit's roadmap is executing, you redeploy to architect the next. Key Responsibilities · Own and continuously maintain the automation roadmap for your assigned business unit, built against Blue's shared automation standards, template library, and digital thread — not a per-site fork. · Prioritize automation investment using category economics: identify where recurring labor and cost are trapped (e.g. high finished-part-to-material cost ratios on machined hardware), and rank candidates by savings potential against capital and schedule. · Lead make-versus-buy decisions for automation systems, applying Blue's build-versus-integrator economics — defending an internal-build option where it lowers capital intensity and captures integrator margin. · Enforce design-for-automation upstream: partner with the business unit's design and engineering teams to freeze designs, collapse part count, and reduce fasteners before automation capital is committed. · Architect AI-enabled automation where it earns its place: model-driven machine-generated programming (auto-CAM, offline robot programming), ML-based in-process inspection, and agentic planning — governed by an honest, evidence-based gate that keeps a human signature on safety- and fracture-critical characteristics and lets automated buyoff shrink that gate only as capability data accumulates. · Work AI-natively in your own engineering — using AI assistants for code generation, documentation, and design acceleration — and identify or build reusable automation tools that the wider Factory Automation group can adopt, rather than solving the same problem once per site. · Champion the single digital thread within your business unit — model-based definition flowing through the MES/work-order gateway down to the machine and the live-data return path back up — deliberately eliminating the IT/OT boundary as a place where data is re-keyed, and retiring per-site middleware and workarounds. · Translate roadmap items into scoped projects and hand them to central Factory Automation build teams, staying accountable through design reviews, prototyping, commissioning, and production hand-off. · Ensure every cell lands with its maintenance basis, spares position, and telemetry hooks defined alongside its process design — not retrofitted after first failure. · Build and defend the financial case for your roadmap (payback, capital intensity, savings ramp) to business-unit and program leadership, and support Finance reviews. · Interface as the trusted automation authority for your business unit — the person program leadership comes to for "can we automate this, should we, and what will it cost." Required Qualifications · 8+ years in automation, controls, or robotics engineering, including hands-on design and integration of custom robotic cells and special machines start to finish — you must have done the build work you will now direct. · Demonstrated experience owning automation strategy or a multi-project roadmap across a product line or facility, not just individual machine projects. · Deep working knowledge of PLC/controls platforms (Siemens, Rockwell, Beckhoff), industrial robots (KUKA, FANUC, ABB), motion systems, and vision — sufficient to set technical direction and review others' designs. · Demonstrated understanding of IT/OT interconnectivity — how engineering and business systems (PLM/MBD, MES, ERP) connect through to shop-floor controls (PLC, SCADA, robots, historians), where the IT/OT boundary sits, and how data is lost or manually re-keyed across it. You must be able to architect a cell that lives on the digital thread, not one that works in isolation. · Practical fluency with AI-enabled automation approaches — machine-generated programming, ML vision/inspection, or model-to-motion digital-thread tooling — and sound judgment about where AI belongs in a controls stack and, just as importantly, where it does not. · Sound make-versus-buy and build-versus-integrator judgment, with the financial literacy to build and defend a business case (payback, NPV, capital intensity) to non-engineering leadership. · Experience applying design-for-manufacturing / design-for-automation principles upstream of a build, influencing product-design decisions. · Strong grasp of manufacturing processes — machining, welding, sheet-metal fabrication, assembly — and of the safety and ergonomic standards governing industrial automation. · Exceptional communication and stakeholder-influence skills: this role earns authority through credibility and persuasion across teams it does not directly manage, and holds a deliberate central-versus-local reporting tension. · Willingness to embed on-site with the assigned business unit and to travel between Blue facilities. · 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 Qualifications · Bachelor's or Master's degree in electrical engineering, mechatronics, automation, or a related field. · Experience at a system integrator or custom industrial automation company — having seen the buy side helps you run the make-versus-buy call. · Hands-on experience with IT/OT integration technologies — industrial connectivity protocols (OPC UA, MQTT), historians, edge computing, and the network and security architecture spanning the boundary. · Familiarity with model-based definition (MBD/PMI), digital-thread / MES architecture, and how engineering data flows to CAM/CMM/work instructions. · Track record of building internal tools — AI-assisted or otherwise — that improved how an automation team works (e.g. custom offline-programming tools, code generators, review assistants), not just consuming off-the-shelf software. · Experience with cost-decomposition analysis (e.g. finished-part-to-material cost ratios) to target automation investment. · Aerospace or other regulated, high-mix / low-volume manufacturing experience. · CNC machine integration experience. · Proficiency with SCADA platforms (Ignition, WinCC, FactoryTalk). · Ability to interpret and review mechanical drawings, and to create 3D layouts and robot simulations. · Experience with project and ticket management. 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. 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. 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 EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request. Base Pay Range for: WA applicants is $197,529.00 - $276,539.55 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. 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 EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com . Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.