Software Development Engineer III

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 Enterprise Technology (ET), where we’re developing the digital infrastructure needed to build the road to space, with an emphasis on digital capabilities required to advance Blue Origin’s mission. Enterprise Technology is the center of excellence for digital technology at Blue Origin, providing oversight and governance to align technology and business strategies.

Software Development Engineer III – Platform Software Services (PSS)

About the Role

We're a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers relentlessly committed to a culture of safety and innovation. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and requires your dedication and keen attention to ensure safe and repeatable spaceflight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space, fulfilling Blue Origin's vision of millions living and working in space to benefit Earth.

As part of our Enterprise Technology (ET) team, you'll help build the digital infrastructure essential for the road to space. This is a platform engineering role — you'll be building the thing that builds the thing.

We are looking for a skilled and motivated Software Development Engineer III to join our Platform Software Services (PSS) team, part of the Serenity Platform within Enterprise Technology. PSS owns and operates the business-critical backend services, APIs, and system integrations that power Blue Origin's core mission capabilities — spanning aerospace engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, mission operations, and beyond.

You'll join a high-impact team that operates at the intersection of reliability and innovation, building the foundational platform layer that hundreds of engineers and business teams depend on every day. If you're passionate about building scalable, resilient backend systems and want your work to matter, this is your team.

How We Build on PSS

We build with an AI-assisted mindset — using tools like Claude Code, Cursor and other leading AI assistants to move faster, think bigger, and tackle harder problems. AI is a first-class part of how we design, develop, debug, and review software on PSS — not an afterthought. You'll be expected to adopt, evaluate, and advocate for AI tooling responsibly, with a clear eye on production reliability, security, and governance. The best engineers on our team don't just use AI — they know when to trust it, when to question it, and when to override it.

Platform Scale & Impact

PSS services power mission-critical workflows across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and mission operations — supporting hundreds of internal users and applications across Blue Origin. Our services handle high-throughput event processing, complex system integrations, and real-time data flows that teams across the company depend on around the clock. At this scale, reliability and scalability aren't aspirational — they're the baseline. The platform you help build directly determines how fast Blue Origin moves.

What You'll Work With

• Languages: Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript
• Frontend: React
• APIs & Messaging: REST, GraphQL, SQS, SNS, event-driven architectures
• Cloud: AWS (DynamoDB, RDS, ECS, Lambda, S3, CloudWatch, and more)
• Infrastructure & DevOps: Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD pipelines
• Observability: Distributed tracing, centralized logging, metrics dashboards
• Databases: Relational (PostgreSQL/RDS) and NoSQL (DynamoDB)
• AI Tools: Claude Code, Cursor and equivalent AI-assisted development tools
• Source Control & Collaboration: Git, code reviews, design reviews

Key Responsibilities

Platform Development & Architecture

• Design, build, and operate scalable, highly available backend services and APIs that serve as the backbone of Blue Origin's enterprise platform
• Develop and own microservices and distributed system components using Java and Python, following clean architecture and domain-driven design principles
• Architect robust integrations between internal systems and commercial platforms using REST, GraphQL, message queues, and event-driven patterns
• Propose and implement optimal technical architectures, presenting your designs clearly to peers and stakeholders

Cloud Infrastructure & Operations

• Build and maintain cloud-native solutions on AWS, leveraging services such as DynamoDB, RDS, SQS, SNS, Lambda, ECS, and CloudWatch
• Develop and maintain infrastructure-as-code to support reliable, repeatable deployments across environments
• Own the reliability of your services — participate in on-call rotations, respond to incidents, conduct root cause analyses, and implement lasting fixes
• Establish and uphold observability best practices including monitoring, alerting, logging, and distributed tracing

Full-Stack & UI Contributions

• Build and enhance web interfaces using React and modern JavaScript/TypeScript to deliver seamless user experiences on top of platform services
• Collaborate with frontend engineers and designers to integrate APIs with user-facing applications efficiently and reliably

Engineering Excellence

• Write well-tested, maintainable code and champion quality through code reviews, automated testing strategies, and CI/CD pipeline best practices
• Leverage AI-assisted development tools — including Claude Code, Cursor and equivalent AI assistants — to accelerate delivery, improve code quality, and explore smarter approaches to complex engineering problems
• Evaluate and thoughtfully integrate AI/LLM capabilities into platform services where they create measurable value — with a clear eye on reliability, security, and governance guardrails
• Identify and resolve complex software issues across the full stack — from service logic and database performance to deployment configuration and client integration
• Contribute to team standards, playbooks, and documentation that raise the technical bar across PSS

Collaboration & Growth

• Partner closely with Senior and Principal Engineers to deliver on PSS's ambitious roadmap
• Work cross-functionally with product managers, business stakeholders, and engineers across the Serenity Platform to translate requirements into reliable platform capabilities
• Actively participate in design reviews, sprint ceremonies, and technical discussions — your voice and perspective matter here

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in software development and production deployment
• Proficiency in at least one statically typed language (Java preferred) and one dynamically typed language (Python or JavaScript/TypeScript)
• Strong foundations in computer science fundamentals — algorithms, data structures, distributed systems, and object-oriented design
• Proven track record of shipping production software end-to-end, from design through deployment and ongoing operations
• Hands-on experience with AWS services and cloud-native application development
• Working knowledge of REST and/or GraphQL API design and integration patterns
• Solid understanding of relational and NoSQL databases, including schema design and query optimization
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing strategies (unit, integration, end-to-end), and deployment best practices
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience supporting production systems on-call, including incident response and postmortem practices
• Demonstrated habit of using AI-assisted development tools (such as Claude Code, Cursor or equivalent) as a core part of your engineering workflow — and the engineering judgment to know when to trust, question, or override what AI generates
• Strong communication skills — you can articulate complex technical concepts clearly, engage constructively in design discussions, and own outcomes
• Ability to deliver working solutions even with ambiguous or evolving requirements

Desired Qualifications

• Experience extending or integrating commercial enterprise platforms (e.g., ERP, PLM, MES, or similar)
• Familiarity with event-driven architectures and asynchronous messaging patterns at scale
• Experience building or consuming GraphQL APIs, including schema design and federation concepts
• Frontend experience with React — component architecture, state management, and performance optimization
• Exposure to infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform or AWS CDK
• Experience with distributed tracing and observability platforms (e.g., Datadog, OpenTelemetry)
• Experience integrating AI/LLM APIs (e.g., Claude, OpenAI, or similar) into backend services or platform workflows
• Familiarity with prompt engineering and understanding of how to apply generative AI responsibly within enterprise platform contexts
• Experience evaluating AI-generated code for correctness, security, and production readiness
• Track record of mentoring junior engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and technical guidance
• Experience in aerospace, manufacturing, or supply chain domains is a plus but not required

What Success Looks Like

In your first 3–6 months, you will:

• Achieve full ramp-up on PSS systems, architecture, and operational practices
• Independently deliver meaningful features and service improvements with measurable business impact
• Participate in on-call rotations and demonstrate reliability ownership
• Contribute constructively to design and code reviews across the team

In your first 6–12 months, you will:

• Own one or more platform services end-to-end — from architecture decisions through production operations
• Drive improvements in system reliability, scalability, or developer experience that benefit teams across Serenity Platform
• Establish yourself as a trusted technical voice in team discussions and cross-functional collaborations
• Begin mentoring peers and contributing to engineering standards and documentation

Why Join Platform Software Services

This is an opportunity to:

• Work at the core of Blue Origin's digital foundation — the services you build power mission-critical capabilities for the entire company
• Operate at meaningful scale — PSS services support engineering, manufacturing, and operations teams across Blue Origin's programs, handling high-throughput workloads where reliability is non-negotiable
• Build with an AI-first mindset — use cutting-edge tools like Claude Code, Cursor and leading AI assistants as everyday instruments in your engineering craft
• Grow in a high-craft engineering culture that values architectural thinking, operational excellence, and continuous improvement
• Shape the future of how an aerospace company builds and runs its enterprise platform
• Collaborate with exceptional engineers across the Serenity Platform — including teams working on AI-powered UIs, developer tooling, and next-generation integrations
• Make a lasting impact — both on Blue Origin's mission and on your own career trajectory in platform and systems engineering

If you're a platform-minded engineer with strong backend expertise and full-stack versatility who cares deeply about reliability, scalability, and building platforms that others depend on — we want to hear from you.

Apply today and help build the infrastructure that powers the road to space.

 

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $164,652.00 - $230,512.80

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.