Blue Origin

Sr Structural Design Engineer - New Glenn

Blue Origin$145K — $203K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S. degree in engineering with 10+ years of experience in aircraft, spacecraft, or launch vehicle structures
  • Proven expertise in load path distribution and first-order strength assessments
  • Strong understanding of composite and metallic design principles
  • Experience with bolted joint design and tolerance analysis (ASME Y14.5)
  • Familiarity with CAD tools like Creo and FEA software such as ANSYS
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

  • Lead a design team through hardware design cycles, providing technical direction
  • Engage with all levels of leadership to ensure transparent communication
  • Drive problem resolution and advance solutions within the design process
  • Oversee the hardware lifecycle from requirements to integration onto a launch vehicle
  • Conduct design, analysis, development, and testing of structural components
  • Build documentation and test plans for flight hardware development
  • Collaborate with multi-functional teams to select materials and manufacturing processes

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Paid parental leave and short/long-term disability benefits
  • 401(k) with company match up to 5%
  • Stock options for regular employees working over 20 hours/week
  • Generous paid time off including up to four weeks per year 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 supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

As part of a small, hardworking, passionate, and accomplished team of experts, you will be responsible for the design, analysis, development, testing, and qualification of structural subsystems for New Glenn's second stage and payload accommodations. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and detailed attention towards safe and reliable spaceflight.

We are looking for someone 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:
  • Lead a design team through frequent hardware design cycles and advise them on technical design, analysis, qualification, testing, manufacturing, and integration activities
  • Foster open communication and present to all levels of leadership within the organization
  • Drive solutions forward and advise the team on problem resolution
  • Take ownership of the full lifecycle of hardware from requirements definition through concept development, design, analysis, testing, qualification, and integration onto a launch vehicle
  • Design, analyze, develop, and test primary and secondary metallic and composite structures
  • Perform research, develop concepts, and run trade studies
  • Build 3D models, detail part drawings, assemblies, installations, and interface control documents
  • Build test plans, specifications, and other documentation for the development of flight hardware
  • Provide technical guidance and on-site support for manufacturing, production, and integration activities
  • Support configuration development and trade studies
  • Take ownership of test planning, execution, data reduction, analysis, and authoring of test reports
  • Work with multi-functional teams that are responsible for selecting materials, manufacturing processes, and suppliers to produce world class aerospace hardware
  • Develop component specifications and manage suppliers
  • Plan, coordinate, conduct tests, and review test data
  • Participate in the development and purchase of new equipment and tooling
  • Maintain and report on activity schedule, budget and technical status
  • Coach, mentor and technically assist other engineers
  • Find opportunities for improvements and operational cost savings
  • Work with spacecraft customers in a technical capacity
  • Own spacecraft structural integration cycles
  • Drive hardware discrepancies to resolution
  • Prepare technical content and present to internal and external customers
  • Complete hand calc and FEM analyses to report margins of safety for primary and secondary aerospace structures
  • Perform access studies, loss of clearance analyses, vehicle clocking studies, and develop solutions to mission unique requirements
  • Collaborate with internal and external teams throughout design, manufacturing, and mission integration


Minimum Qualifications:
  • Minimum of a B.S. degree in engineering and 10+ years of experience with aircraft, spacecraft, or launch vehicle structures
  • Experience on recently developed aircraft or launch vehicles in one or more of the following areas: a) Vehicle load path distribution, and first order strength assessment and sizing b) Skin-stringer and sandwich panel design c) Material selection, compatibility and manufacturing techniques
  • Experience working in a multi-functional organization to develop designs and produce world-class engineered products
  • Strong understanding of composite and metallic design fundamentals
  • Experience in bolted joint design and analysis
  • Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance analysis (ASME Y14.5)
  • Familiarity with ASME Y14.100 and Y14.41
  • Structural design experience using CAD (Creo/Windchill preferred), hand calculations, and FEA (ANSYS preferred) tools
  • Ability to take ownership of the hardware lifecycle from requirements definition through concept development, design, analysis, testing, qualification, and integration onto a launch vehicle
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Dynamic separation systems and interface design
  • Experience with rapid development techniques for hardware
  • Experience with fabrication using automated fiber placement (AFP) and tape laying (ATL)
  • Experience or expertise with fabrication of large-scale out-of-autoclave composite structures
  • Demonstrated experience developing manufacturing processes for transition to production
  • Knowledge of systems engineering practices, fabrication and integration processes, and quality control
  • Experience with Optimization and Design of Experiments (DOE) methods as applied to design, analysis, and testing
  • Willing and able to get a Top Secret Clearance


Base Pay Range for:
CO applicants is $133,500.00 - $186,898.95WA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20

Other site ranges may differ

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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