Principal Propulsion Engineer - Engines

BLUE ORIGIN • Huntsville, AL

1d • $169,624 - $237,473

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! This role is part of the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight. As part of a small group of engineers, you will serve as the technical integrator for a LOX/LNG booster engine. You will sit at the intersection of every technical discipline on the program, owning the systems architecture, driving requirements from top-level customer needs down through subsystems, and ensuring that every design decision rolls up into a system that meets its performance, reliability, and operability goals. This is a role with real ownership and real influence, on a team that moves fast, dives deep, and does not settle for good enough.

Requirements

• B.S. or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field
• 10+ years of experience in propulsion or aerospace system development, with meaningful time spent on liquid rocket engine programs
• Hands-on experience with requirements development, interface definition, and system-level verification on flight or flight-like hardware
• Sufficient propulsion fundamentals to engage credibly with subsystem engineers across combustion devices, turbomachinery, and feed systems
• Experience with requirements management tools such as DOORS, DNG, Jama, or equivalent, and Atlassian tools including Jira and Confluence

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience as a lead or sole systems engineer on a liquid rocket engine program with direct accountability for technical integrity
• Experience with high-performance engine cycles
• System Safety analysis experience including FMECA, FTA, and FHA in a flight-critical environment
• Experience with reliability, maintainability, and supportability (RMS) analysis and execution
• Prior experience at a fast-moving launch vehicle or propulsion developer where hardware has flown

Responsibilities

• Own the engine-level systems architecture, ensuring design decisions made at the subsystem level are coherent, traceable, and optimized for the system as a whole
• Develop, decompose, and allocate requirements across subsystems, maintaining clear traceability and a credible path to verification for every requirement
• Define and control all key interfaces between engine subsystems and between the engine and vehicle, resolving conflicts before they become integration problems
• Lead engine-level trade studies with analytical rigor, driving clear recommendations that advance the program rather than cataloguing options
• Actively engage with test data, anomaly investigations, and design iterations to identify optimization opportunities and push system performance
• Identify technical risks early, develop mitigation strategies, and communicate program status with clarity and honesty to leadership and stakeholders
• Serve as the technical hub across a wide range of stakeholders — subsystem engineers, vehicle teams, test operations, and program leadership
• Coordinate System Safety analysis across the engine, ensuring complete hazard coverage and no gaps across subsystems
• Lead and prepare for major program reviews, setting a high bar for technical readiness and ensuring the team is prepared to defend their designs
• Maintain configuration discipline across drawings, interface control documents, and design documentation so the team always has an accurate picture of the current system

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal