Blue Origin

Materials and Process Engineer III - Contamination Control

Blue Origin • $100K — $120K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S. degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Materials Science Engineering, or related discipline
  • 5+ years experience in contamination control or M&P engineering within aerospace/defense
  • Familiarity with cleanliness standards like IEST-STD-CC1246 and ISO 14644
  • Hands-on experience with cleanliness verification techniques such as particle counting and NVR analysis
  • Proficient in interpreting engineering drawings and material/process specifications
  • Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on root cause analysis
  • Effective communicator, capable of presenting technical findings to diverse teams

Responsibilities

  • Enforce cleanliness standards for flight hardware and support equipment
  • Ensure consistent contamination control across programs and sites
  • Develop precision-cleaning processes in collaboration with engineering teams
  • Guide certification for controlled work areas and clean rooms
  • Author contamination control specifications and work instructions
  • Support investigations of contamination-related failures
  • Evaluate hardware designs for cleaning accessibility
  • Oversee cleanliness verification testing
  • Assess facilities for cleanliness requirements and propose mitigation strategies
  • Train and mentor junior engineers and technicians

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options
  • Paid parental leave and short/long-term disability
  • 401(k) plan with a company match
  • Stock options for part-time and full-time employees
  • Up to four weeks of paid time off and 14 paid holidays
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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.

We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

As part of a unique, rapidly evolving team, you will develop, qualify, and support precision cleaning processes for flight hardware as well as support maintaining system cleanliness throughout hardware's lifecycle in accordance with Blue Origin's strict aerospace specifications. You will work hands-on with manufacturing engineers, contamination-control engineers, and technicians in the manufacturing area to build our launch vehicles and spacecraft. We seek people who are passionate about space and possess a strong desire to deliver results.

We are looking for a self-motivated individual 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!

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • Enforce enterprise-wide cleanliness level requirements for flight hardware, environment, fluids, and support equipment
  • Enforce enterprise-wide contamination-control standards and ensure consistency across programs and sites
  • Work with an interdisciplinary team of manufacturing engineers, contamination control engineers, and technicians to develop and precision-cleaning processes as well as maintain those cleanliness levels throughout the manufacturing lifecycle
  • Partner with work centers to provide guidance on establishing, certifying, and monitoring controlled work areas and clean rooms for all ISO classifications
  • Author, set up, and contamination control M&P specifications, work instructions, engineering dispositions, and test plans in accordance with aerospace requirements and industry standards
  • Support failure investigations involving contamination as a root cause or contributing factor
  • Support design reviews by evaluating hardware designs for cleaning accessibility, including geometry and material compatibility
  • Perform or oversee cleanliness verification testing, including surface particle counts and NVR
  • Assess facilities and work locations for suitability to support required cleanliness levels, and develop compensating measures or mitigation strategies for areas that do not meet requirements
  • Train and mentor junior engineers and technicians on contamination control practices
  • Travel as necessary to support design interface meetings, operations support, or off-site development activities
  • Maintain a safe, clean, and organized work area in alignment with 5S standards

Minimum Qualifications
  • B.S. degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, or related technical discipline
  • 5+ years of experience in contamination control, M&P engineering, or a closely related aerospace/defense discipline
  • Familiarity with cleanliness standards such as IEST-STD-CC1246, MIL-STD-1246, SAE AS598, and/or ISO 14644
  • Hands-on experience with cleanliness verification techniques: particle counting, NVR analysis, witness coupons, and optical inspection
  • Proficiency interpreting engineering drawings, GD&T, and material/process specifications
  • Demonstrated experience implementing contamination control plans for flight or high-reliability hardware
  • Strong root cause analysis and structured problem-solving skills
  • Self-motivated and proactive, with a demonstrated ability to drive material/process development and qualifications to completion with little guidance
  • Calm demeanor in high-pressure situations with the ability to adapt to rapidly changing requirements
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to write clear technical documents and present findings to multi-discipline teams
  • 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.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, or related technical discipline
  • Experience with propulsion systems (liquid rocket engines, propellant feed systems, or pressurization systems)
  • Familiarity with optical, cryogenic, or precision mechanism cleanliness requirements
  • Experience supporting hardware through full product lifecycle
  • Experience in aerospace failure analysis and root cause investigation involving contamination as a root cause or contributing factor
  • Six Sigma, Lean, or other continuous improvement certification

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.
  • Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
  • Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
  • Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

About Blue Origin

Blue Origin is an aerospace company that develops rockets and spacecraft for commercial and government customers. The company's products include the New Shepard suborbital vehicle and the New Glenn orbital rocket. Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos and is headquartered in Kent, Washington.
Learn more about Blue Origin
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2000

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