Propulsion Engineer II (BE-3U Valves)

Blue Origin•Southgate, WA

About The Position

This role is part of Blue Origin’s Engines business unit, which designs, develops, manufactures, and tests reusable engines and propulsion systems for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight. As a member of the BE-3U Engine team, the engineer tests and qualifies flight-critical valve and fluid system components, including main propellant valves and coolant control valves. The role spans the product lifecycle, from requirements and verification planning through flight qualification, including test support, test-data review, non-conforming hardware processing, and technical reporting. The engineer reports directly to the Valves Product Team Lead within the BE-3U Engine Team. The position requires technical expertise in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, and testing/data acquisition, as well as a commitment to quality and safe human spaceflight. Applicants must meet the stated U.S. citizenship, permanent-residency, refugee, or asylum status requirement. The Washington base pay range is $99,201.00–$138,880.35; other site ranges may differ.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering discipline; aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or physics is desired.
At least 2 years of industry experience in a related field.
Familiarity with valve, fluid system, or cryogenic component design and development.
Familiarity with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
Familiarity with data analysis and data processing.
Familiarity with Python.
Strong data acquisition skills.
Working proficiency with common test instrumentation, including accelerometers, pressure transducers, thermocouples, flow meters, and multimeters.
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

Master of Science in an engineering discipline or higher.
Computer-aided design (CAD) experience.
Experience with Creo (Pro/E) Wildfire 5 or greater and Windchill 10.
Strong technical fundamentals in propulsion, fluids, and thermodynamics.
Strong knowledge of cryogenic valve design processes and hardware fabrication techniques.
Direct experience with DAQ hardware and software in a production or qualification test environment.
Demonstrated experience running vibration testing on electrodynamic shaker tables, including sine, random, and shock profiles, or experience in other hands-on test environments.
Electrical testing and GSE fabrication/troubleshooting experience.

Responsibilities

Own valve component testing through qualification and acceptance, ensuring designs meet safety, reliability, and performance standards.
Examine non-conforming hardware and develop timely technical resolutions.
Oversee component-level acceptance and qualification testing to ensure compliance with design requirements and goals.
Design and develop component test hardware, including mechanical fixtures, electrical control boxes and harnesses, and data acquisition systems.
Develop and own test plans, author work orders, and author test reports.
Set up, integrate, and operate test stands for valve and fluid component acceptance testing across proof, leak, thermal, vibration, and dynamic performance disciplines.
Develop, modify, and maintain data acquisition configurations and Python test automation routines; build and validate channel lists, signal conditioning, and derived measurements.
Install, calibrate, and troubleshoot instrumentation, including motor controllers, voltage/current sensors, accelerometers, pressure transducers, thermocouples, mass flow meters, and load cells.
Support investigation of test anomalies and non-conformances and participate in root cause analysis and corrective action.
Contribute to improvements in test cycle time, fixture reuse, and data quality through Kaizen and other improvement initiatives.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability
401(k) with company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week
Paid time off of up to four weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays
Depending on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on individual contributions and company results; amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and may change or be cancelled.