Sr. Mechanical Engineer - Decelerator Systems (Parachutes)

Posted:
8/20/2024, 5:00:00 PM

Location(s):
Seattle, Washington, United States ⋅ Washington, United States

Experience Level(s):
Senior

Field(s):
Mechanical Engineering

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 diverse team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!  

This role is part of the New Shepard program. New Shepard is a reusable suborbital rocket system designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary of space. Through operational reusability, New Shepard supports our mission of lowering the cost of access to space.

  

As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will be a technical leader in cutting-edge parachute hardware for the New Shepard human rated space vehicle.   In this role, you will take ownership of total project execution from high level planning and tracking to detailed design, analysis, production and maintenance support. You will lead in requirements derivation, conceptual and detailed design, system performance modeling, and structural analysis. You will lead in development and qualification testing including planning, execution, data reduction and analysis. You will develop and release component and assembly drawings and documentation for assembly and testing. Additionally, you will help identify design changes to improve system reliability and reduce operational costs. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required! 

Minimum Qualifications

  • B.S. degree in engineering and 8+ years of experience in aerospace and/or decelerator industry. 

  • Excellent organization, project management and coordination skills to be used , in order to track, manage and prioritize multiple simultaneous tasks.  

  • Written and verbal communication skills capable of spanning both tactical deep technical reviews and strategic programmatic discussions.

  • Demonstrated expertise in aerospace or related industry in one or more of the following areas:

    • Design, test and operation of integrated decelerator systems 

    • Applications of common aerospace metallic materials and surface treatments 

    • Computer Aided Design (Creo preferred) 

    • Configuration management, nonconforming material review and disposition of discrepant hardware  

    • Structural Finite Element Analysis (ANSYS preferred) 

  • Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion

  • 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. 

  • Must be willing to support frequent travel (up to 15%) to our West Texas Launch Site 

Preferred Qualifications

  • M.S. degree in engineering 

  • 12+ years of experience with Design and test experience in capsule recovery systems  

  • Experience with destructive and non-destructive analysis and test methods 

  • Experience with GD&T analysis (ASME Y14.5) 

  • Test instrumentation and data acquisition experience 

  • Proven familiarity with data reduction and analysis (MATLAB or similar) 

  • Design use of textiles or flexible structure materials   


 

Compensation Range for:

WA applicants is $136,467.00-$191,053.80

Other site ranges may differ

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

Inclusivity 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 a diverse, inclusive, and 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.

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

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 [email protected].

California Applicant Privacy Notice

If you are a California resident, please reference the CA Applicant Privacy Notice here.