Blue Origin

Sr. Mechanical Engineer - Avionics Packaging - TeraWave

Blue Origin$145K — $203K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or closely related field
  • 7+ years designing ruggedized electronic enclosures or high-reliability avionics packaging
  • Strong structural and thermal analysis experience, using FEA (preferably Ansys)
  • Proficient in 3D CAD modeling (preferably Creo) with GD&T and ASME Y14.5
  • Experience in taking hardware from prototype through environmental qualification
  • U.S. citizenship or equivalent status for export-controlled data access

Responsibilities

  • Own the mechanical design of the PMAD avionics enclosure from concept to production
  • Define mechanical requirements and design specifications in collaboration with engineering teams
  • Develop and maintain technical documentation including CAD models and drawings
  • Conduct structural analyses (static, modal, thermal) using FEA and hand calculations
  • Design for thermal performance, building and correlating thermal models
  • Lead design trade studies for packaging architecture and material selection
  • Support environmental testing and perform failure analysis for hardware anomalies

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid parental leave and short/long-term disability
  • 401(k) with company match of up to 5%
  • Education Support Program
  • Stock Options for all regular employees
  • Up to four weeks of Paid Time Off and 14 company-paid holidays
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

This role sits within the TeraWave Spacecraft Bus Electrical Power Subsystem team. We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical packaging for the Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) - one of the most integration-intensive assemblies on the spacecraft. You will be responsible for everything the enclosure touches: card retention, thermal paths, connector access, mounting interfaces, serviceability, mass optimization, producibility, and integration flow. You will drive this hardware from concept through formal qualification, production release, and flight support - at constellation scale.

This is a senior role. You will lead design trades, mentor junior engineers, and serve as a technical authority recognized across the broader organization. TeraWave's production rate of thousands of units means your packaging decisions directly drive manufacturing yield, cost, and schedule. If you want to own something end-to-end and see it fly, this role is for you.

Responsibilities:
  • Own the full mechanical design of the PMAD avionics enclosure from concept through qualification and production release, including enclosure structure, card retention, thermal management, connector access, mounting interfaces, and serviceability
  • Define mechanical requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), and design specifications in coordination with systems engineering, electrical engineering, thermal, structures, and manufacturing teams
  • Develop and maintain 3D CAD models, assemblies, part and assembly drawings, installation drawings, and other required technical documentation
  • Perform structural analyses - static, modal, random vibration, shock, and fastener/joint - using both hand calculations and FEA; report margins and drive design to closure
  • Design for thermal performance: conduction paths, heat spreaders, thermal interface materials, and enclosure-level heat rejection; build and correlate thermal models with test data
  • Perform solder fatigue analysis (Steinberg or Engelmeier) for PCB-level components subject to thermal cycling and vibration
  • Lead design trade studies for packaging architecture, material selection, and producibility optimization; document results and drive decisions
  • Build and evaluate prototypes; design assembly aids, test fixtures, and tooling
  • Support environmental testing - vibration, shock, thermal cycling, TVAC - including test setup, instrumentation, data review, and corrective action development
  • Perform failure analysis and establish root cause and corrective action for hardware anomalies
  • Collaborate with Production and Quality Engineering to disposition material defects and support DFM/DFA improvements
  • Mentor and train junior engineers; review and approve designs and documentation created by other team members


Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field
  • 7 or more years of hands-on experience designing ruggedized electronic enclosures or high-reliability avionics packaging for harsh environment applications
  • Demonstrated structural and thermal analysis skills, including static, modal, random vibration, and shock analysis using FEA (Ansys preferred) supported by hand calculations
  • Proficiency with 3D CAD for detailed part and assembly modeling (Creo preferred), including GD&T implementation and tolerance analysis per ASME Y14.5
  • Experience taking hardware from prototype through environmental qualification, including test plan development, execution, and anomaly resolution
  • Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum - required for access to export-controlled technical data


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience packaging one or more of the following: avionics enclosures, power regulators, power distribution units, or batteries for space or aerospace applications
  • Familiarity with spacecraft or launch vehicle avionics systems and associated environmental requirements
  • Experience with solder fatigue analysis using Steinberg or Engelmeier methods
  • Experience with additional environmental testing including EMI/RFI and TVAC
  • Proficiency with thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop/SINDA, Icepak, or FLOTHERM, including model-to-test correlation
  • Familiarity with aerospace structural analysis references including Bruhn, Shigley, Roark's, and Marks'
  • Experience with fatigue analysis and fracture mechanics in a spaceflight or high-reliability context
  • Experience with Creo and Windchill PLM or equivalent configuration management systems
  • Experience directing the activities of other engineers and leading cross-functional design reviews
  • Hands-on, practical mechanical fabrication and assembly abilities - comfortable in a lab or build environment
  • Strong written and verbal technical communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to author specifications, analysis reports, and test plans independently


Base Pay Range for:
WA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20

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.

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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