Manufacturing Engineer - Weld Specialist

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.

This role supports the development and qualification of welding processes for a new advanced hardware program at Blue Origin. The successful candidate will own weld process engineering across the full spectrum of program welding needs - from aerospace-grade GTAW on thin-wall nickel superalloy and stainless steel components to ASME pipe welding for high-pressure process piping systems. This role requires hands-on weld engineering depth: developing and qualifying welding procedure specifications (WPS), managing welder performance qualifications (WPQ), defining joint designs and weld parameters, and providing real-time shipside support during critical welding operations.

The ideal candidate bridges the aerospace and pressure equipment/piping worlds - comfortable with both flight-heritage weld standards and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code requirements. This is a greenfield environment where the welding process engineer will help stand up the entire welding operation from equipment selection through process qualification and rate production readiness.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

* Defining weld joint designs, fit-up tolerances, weld parameters, and acceptance criteria for both aerospace structural welds and ASME/B31.3 pressure-boundary pipe welds

* Providing Design for Weldability feedback to design engineering - influencing joint geometry, material selection, weld access, distortion control, and residual stress management early in the design cycle

* Evaluating, selecting, and specifying welding equipment - GTAW power supplies, orbital welding systems, mechanized weld heads, positioners, purge systems, and fixturing - to establish production weld capability

* Developing, qualifying, and maintaining welding procedure specifications (WPS) as applicable to program hardware

* Managing the weld procedure qualification record (WPQR) program - planning and executing procedure qualification tests, documenting results, and maintaining qualification records

* Developing weld maps, weld sequence plans, and detailed work instructions for complex welded assemblies including multi-pass pipe joints, structural weldments, and precision thin-wall components

* Providing shipside/lineside welding engineering support during production - monitoring weld parameters, verifying fit-up, witnessing critical welds, and making real-time process decisions

* Leading weld-related nonconformance investigations - performing root cause analysis on weld defects (porosity, cracking, lack of fusion, distortion), developing corrective actions, and authoring weld repair procedures

* Defining preheat, interpass temperature, and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) requirements; developing thermal management plans for distortion-sensitive assemblies

* Collaborating with NDE/NDT to define inspection requirements, acceptance criteria, and NDE method selection for weld joints across all product areas

* Supporting weld automation initiatives - working with automation engineers on mechanized orbital welding, robotic GTAW, and automated parameter monitoring systems

Minimum Qualifications:

* Bachelor of Science in Welding Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or related discipline

* 8+ years of experience in welding process engineering, weld procedure development, or manufacturing engineering with a strong welding focus

* Direct experience developing and qualifying welding procedures (WPS/WPQR)

* Working knowledge of ASME B31.3 (Process Piping) or B31.1 (Power Piping) weld requirements, or equivalent pressure piping code experience for ground support equipment

* Experience with GTAW (TIG) process engineering on stainless steels, nickel-based alloys (Inconel, Haynes), and/or carbon steel pipe

* Strong understanding of welding metallurgy - heat-affected zone behavior, solidification cracking, sensitization, and the effects of preheat/PWHT on weld properties

* Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, weld symbols per AWS A2.4, and GD&T per ASME Y14.5

* Experience with weld defect analysis and root cause investigation using NDE results (RT, UT, PT, VT)

* Strong written, personal, technical, and software skills (CAD, Issue Tracking, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications:

* AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng) or Certified…