Thermal Engineer

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. This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission. As a Thermal Engineer, you will develop thermal management systems for advanced space vehicles;

you will analyze, design, and test thermal protection and control systems for extreme environments of space and atmospheric reentry. Your expertise will ensure the survival and performance of spacecraft and components.

• Relocation provided
• Travel expected up to 25% of the time
• Interviews will include a technical assessment

• Perform detailed thermal analysis of vehicle systems and components for all mission phases, including ascent, on-orbit operations, and reentry.
• Develop and build complex thermal models using Thermal Desktop, Sinda/Fluint, and other industry-standard software.
• Design, select, and qualify thermal insulation and other passive and active thermal control hardware for in-space and reentry applications.
• Plan, execute, and analyze thermal tests, including thermal vacuum (TVAC), thermal balance, and component-level testing.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including structures, avionics, and aerodynamics, to develop integrated vehicle solutions.
• Develop and document thermal requirements, analysis reports, and test procedures.
• Support vehicle-level integration and testing campaigns.

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of experience in thermal analysis and design for aerospace or high-performance applications.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Thermal Desktop.
• Direct experience with the design, analysis, and application of thermal insulation for in-space and/or reentry systems.
• Strong understanding of all three modes of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and their application in a space environment.
• Familiarity with thermal testing and instrumentation.
• 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.

• Master of Science or Ph.D. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with a focus on heat transfer.
• Experience with other thermal and CFD software packages (e.g., Ansys, Star-CCM+, Sinda/Fluint).
• Hands‑on experience with thermal hardware and test execution.
• Experience with thermal analysis of hypersonic and/or reentry vehicles.
• Knowledge of material properties and their behavior in extreme thermal environments.
• Experience scripting in Python or MATLAB for data analysis and process automation.

CA applicants: $ - $; WA applicants: $ - $

Pay ranges may vary at other sites.

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin 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.

• 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 or exceeding 10,001 lbs. and/or transport placardable amounts of hazardous materials may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including driver qualification files, medical certification, road test, hours of service, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements, 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.

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and…