Photovoltaic Material and Process Development Engineer II

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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

At Blue Origin, our mission is to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space. The Product Formulation team is an innovative, fast‑paced group dedicated to developing and maturing next‑generation technologies essential for future aerospace missions. We thrive in a results‑oriented, prototype‑driven, and fail‑fast environment. As a Photovoltaic (PV) Materials and Process Engineer, you will contribute to advances in solar cell materials—including both traditional silicon and emerging photovoltaics—while supporting the integration of these cells into high‑performance solar power modules (SPMs) for space applications.

As a Photovoltaic Materials and Process Engineer, you will support the development of advanced photovoltaic materials and processes for next‑generation solar cells and their integration into solar power modules. You will contribute to fundamental research and applied engineering efforts, assist in designing materials solutions, support high‑rate thin‑film deposition optimisation, evaluate cutting‑edge annealing techniques, and help enable the transition of innovative cells into reliable, flight‑ready modules that meet the rigorous demands of aerospace environments.

• Support research, development, and optimisation of advanced PV materials—including silicon and next‑generation technologies—for space‑grade solar cells.
• Assist in the design, synthesis, and characterization of absorber materials, transport layers, and electrical contacts for high‑efficiency, high‑reliability photovoltaic devices in extreme space environments.
• Support the development and optimisation of both conventional and high‑rate thin‑film deposition processes, including inkjet printing, slot‑die coating, and roll‑to‑roll methods, with emphasis on rapid prototyping and manufacturability.
• Evaluate and implement advanced annealing techniques (e.g., intense pulsed light/photonic curing, laser annealing) to enhance thin‑film and silicon material quality and device performance.
• Fabricate and characterize laboratory‑scale solar cells, including both silicon and emerging PV devices; analyse material, electrical, and optical properties using advanced instrumentation.
• Support the integration of photovoltaic cells into solar power modules (SPMs), ensuring mechanical, electrical, and environmental compatibility for aerospace power systems.
• Work closely with module design, systems engineering, and manufacturing teams to support cell‑to‑module integration, including encapsulation, electrical interconnects, and qualification testing.
• Document experimental and process data thoroughly and support technology transfer activities to manufacturing, following aerospace quality and traceability requirements.
• Contribute to a culture of technical innovation, process safety, and multidisciplinary collaboration within a high‑performance engineering environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• 2+ years of experience in photovoltaic materials/process R&D OR Ph.D. in a relevant field
• Hands‑on experience with PV materials—including deposition, processing, and characterization of solar cells
• Experience with thin‑film deposition techniques (such as inkjet printing, slot‑die coating, sputtering, or evaporation) for semiconductor…