Senior Mechanical Engineer - Pressurized Structures

Application close date:

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!

As part of a passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will lead the design, development, and qualification of high-performance Composite Over wrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) for the New Glenn orbital launch vehicle. In this senior role, you will have a significant impact on all aspects of the design, analysis, manufacturing, and testing of flight-critical hardware. Our team is at the forefront of developing the key technologies that will enable Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth.

This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable spaceflight.

Responsibilities:

• Own and lead the end-to-end design, development, and qualification of COPVs and other pressurized structures, from architectural trade studies through flight and reuse for both internal designs and supplier provided hardware.
• Define technical roadmaps, establish requirements, and drive the design of vessel assemblies and components using Windchill and Creo.
• Serve as a technical authority for structural analysis, performing and guiding complex Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to substantiate designs for all operational and test environments.
• Develop and oversee system-level and component-level test campaigns for qualification, acceptance, and proto-flight hardware.
• Establish and mature critical manufacturing processes with internal teams and external suppliers, providing expert guidance on filament winding, curing, and precision assembly.
• Author, review, and approve key technical documents, including component specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), analysis reports, and test procedures.
• Provide senior-level technical disposition for non-conformances and lead root-cause analysis and corrective action initiatives.
• Serve as a primary technical presenter at major program milestones and design reviews with internal leadership and external customers.
• Actively mentor and develop junior engineers on the team, fostering technical excellence and upholding best practices.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related engineering field.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in the design, analysis, and testing of primary structures and pressurized systems.
• Proven expertise using 3D CAD software (Siemens NX/Teamcenter preferred) to design complex assemblies.
• Mastery of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) principles per ASME Y14.5.
• Extensive experience performing advanced structural analysis using FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, or Nastran).
• Demonstrated, in-depth experience in the full lifecycle of pressure vessels, composite structures, or similar hardware for the aerospace industry.

Desired:

• Master of Science or PhD in a relevant engineering field.
• 10+ years of experience with direct, hands-on design of Composite Over wrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs).
• Expert-level knowledge of composite materials, filament winding processes, and laminate theory.
• Proven experience managing technical development with external suppliers.
• Deep familiarity with industry standards for pressure vessel design and certification (e.g., ASME BPVC Section VIII, AIAA S-080/081).
• Experience leading system-level trade studies and presenting recommendations to leadership.
• Experience with cryogenic systems and material compatibility.
• Proficiency with programming languages (such as Python or MATLAB) for automating complex analysis and data reduction.
• A proven track record of technical leadership and mentorship in a fast-paced R&D or production environment.

Compensation Range for:

Other site ranges may differ

Culture 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 an 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.

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