Just Getting Started - Systems Engineer II Blue Origin Employee Review

4.0
Nov 8, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

My career has lasted just a few years but I have had the opportunity to work with NASA, a heritage contractor, a university, and another newspace company, none of which can really hold a candle to Blue. This is by far the most interesting place I have worked. Regardless of what happens with NASA or SpaceX, Blue is working on several programs that are absolutely critical to the future of human spaceflight. Programs that I don't see other companies and organizations (including SpaceX) pursuing. Talking to my coworkers who have been here since the beginning of the company, it amazes me how much Blue has been able to reinvent itself over the years. I am confident that despite the current adversity, we will pull through.

Cons

Having infinite money from Jeff does not mean that we have infinite ability to solve our problems. The Kent facility is far past capacity. Right now trying to build BE-4 and New Glenn is like trying to run an auto factory with a high school machine shop. The system is highly stressed as are a lot of the people who work on it. That said, things should drastically improved once production activities are moved to Huntsville and the Cape. In addition to facilities, the company has a hard time with staffing. The recruiting process is excessively tedious compared to most other companies (multiple on site interviews) and there just isn't enough bandwidth to sift through the reems of applications.

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5.0
May 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great exposure to hands on engineering

Cons

Isolated location in west texas

1.0
Jun 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Free coffee and snacks and a slice of pizza when New Glenn launched and landed. They years before Blue gave everyone a 10K bonus for the New Shepard first human flight, they have since shut the entire program down.

Cons

Too many to list. The high performers get hit the hardest. I went 8 months without out missing a day, pick up other incomplete projects. After 8 years I received zero stock options which was promised at time of hire. When I left Blue had 383 people with Director in their title and had 40 VPs. Blue even posted a picture of the Chief Engineers on their Facebook page, they had 42! I was there for 8 years and my title never changed, every year they promised a promotion but they never come. I have 2 Masters degrees my Sr Manager had an A.A in arts, once he made Sr Director he was there for 6 months and moved to Andril. The pad repairs will take a year and they will loose the FCC bandwidth which will make them obsolete.

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