Materials & Processes Engineer — Satellite & Payloads - TeraWave

BLUE ORIGIN•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$133,500 - $203,263•Onsite

About The Position

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! Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide. TeraWave satellites and payloads must survive launch and long-duration LEO/MEO operation while being manufacturable at constellation scale. Success depends on disciplined control of structural and thermal materials, finishes, joining, printed wiring assemblies, RF and optical hardware, mechanisms, connectors, wire and cable, adhesives, coatings, thermal interfaces, contamination, corrosion, flammability, and supplier processes. As the TeraWave M&P Engineer for Satellite and Payloads, you will establish and execute materials and process controls across spacecraft bus systems and RF and optical payloads. You will protect mechanical, electrical, thermal, RF, and optical performance, reliability, workmanship, and production yield from early design through fleet sustainment.

Requirements

B.S. in materials science/engineering, metallurgy, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, or a related technical field.
5+ years of experience in aerospace materials and processes, spacecraft or payload hardware, electronics manufacturing, mechanisms, optical/RF hardware, or another high-reliability product.
Working knowledge across several relevant areas such as metals and composites, joining, surface treatments, lubrication, adhesives/coatings, contamination, corrosion, thermal-control materials, soldering, PCB/CCA fabrication, harness processes, connectors/plating, polymers, or special-process qualification.
Experience reviewing engineering drawings/specifications, qualifying materials or processes, and dispositioning nonconformances.
Ability to connect material/process choices to electrical, mechanical, thermal, radiation, reliability, and manufacturing outcomes.
Ability to work directly with designers, technicians, manufacturing engineers, quality, supply chain, and external suppliers.
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.

Nice To Haves

M.S. or Ph.D. in materials science, metallurgy, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience with spacecraft vacuum, atomic oxygen, radiation, charging, contamination, and thermal-cycle environments.
Familiarity with NASA-STD-6016, NASA workmanship standards, IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum, IPC-A-610/620, ASTM E595, and relevant military/industry specifications.
Experience with high-voltage insulation systems, corona/Paschen considerations, creepage/clearance, arc tracking, and power-electronics packaging.
Experience qualifying automated or high-rate electronics/harness production processes and using statistical process control.
Experience with failure analysis methods such as microscopy, cross-sectioning, SEM/EDS, X-ray/CT, FTIR, DSC/TGA, ion chromatography, or mechanical testing.
Experience with batteries, solar arrays, RF hardware, photonics, or optical terminal material/process constraints.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and execute the TeraWave Materials and Processes Plan and approved materials/processes lists across spacecraft bus systems and RF and optical payloads, coordinated with the program standards plan and product-assurance framework.
Provide M&P technical authority for spacecraft structures and mechanisms, thermal hardware, RF and optical payload hardware, solar-array assemblies, propulsion hardware, avionics enclosures, CCAs, printed wiring boards, power electronics, batteries, magnetics, connectors, harnesses, cable shielding, bus bars, fasteners, conformal coatings, adhesives, potting, encapsulation, staking, thermal interface materials, lubricants, and surface finishes.
Review drawings, material specifications, process specifications, source-control documents, supplier plans, and manufacturing instructions for compliance, completeness, producibility, and verification.
Select and qualify materials and processes for vacuum, radiation, atomic oxygen, thermal cycling, humidity/storage, contamination, corrosion, charging, high voltage, and launch environments.
Establish and manage prohibited/restricted materials controls, including pure tin/tin whiskers, cadmium, zinc, mercury, red plague, galvanic couples, halogens, silicone contamination, lead-free assembly, and material shelf-life concerns.
Define requirements for soldering, crimping, splicing, bonding, welding, brazing, plating, cleaning, coating, torque, cure, bakeout, lubrication, handling, and repair/rework of spacecraft bus and payload assemblies.
Partner with harness engineering on wire/cable selection, insulation compatibility, outgassing, shielding/termination materials, connector finishes, bend/flex life, routing environments, workmanship, and installation controls.
Partner with EEE Parts and PCB/CCA teams on package/board compatibility, moisture sensitivity, solder-joint reliability, underfill/adhesive use, CTE mismatch, cleanliness, conductive-anodic-filament risk, and manufacturing process windows.
Partner with Radiation Engineering to assess radiation degradation of polymers, adhesives, coatings, optical materials, insulation, and thermal-control materials.
Plan and oversee coupon, material, process, and workmanship qualification; define acceptance criteria and verification methods; review test data and qualification reports.
Support supplier assessment, special-process approval, process capability, first-article reviews, audits, nonconformances, MRB, failure analysis, and corrective action.
Drive design-for-manufacture and design-for-automation improvements that preserve mission assurance while enabling high-rate, repeatable production.
Maintain configuration control and traceability of approved materials, processes, deviations, shelf-life extensions, substitutions, and supplier changes.
Investigate contamination, corrosion, delamination, cracking, insulation damage, solder/interconnect failures, plating defects, and other material/process anomalies.