Sr. Mechanical RF/Antenna Engineer - TeraWave

Blue Origin • Bay Area, WA

16h

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! We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to support the design, development, flight validation, assembly, integration, testing, and in-flight performance of the Terwave Payloads. This role will support payload hardware development from initial concept through flight. The Senior Mechanical Engineer will work closely with Structures, Thermal, Electrical, and RF Engineers to develop RF components, phased-array and parabolic antennas, and related assemblies that meet high system performance requirements and can be manufactured at scale. Your role is to be the mechanical authority for turning antenna concepts into reality. This involves everything from the micro-packaging of Antenna-in-Package (AiP) modules to the large-scale structural integrity of reflector systems. You will collaborate daily with antenna engineers to ensure their RF designs can be built, tested, and withstand the rigors of launch and operation in space.

Requirements

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical discipline with 7+ years of experience in the design of electronic or RF systems.
• Demonstrated experience in the mechanical packaging of electronic components, including PCB layout, substrate selection, and housing design.
• Proven ability to translate electrical schematics and RF design constraints into manufacturable mechanical packages for fabrication.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks) and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes for PCBs and precision mechanical components (e.g., CNC milling, lamination, bonding).
• Proven experience working within interdisciplinary teams on highly integrated antenna packages, serving as the primary mechanical interface between RF/Antenna, Spacecraft Bus, and Thermal engineering teams to resolve competing design constraints and drive integrated solutions.
• Direct experience in the mechanical design of phased array antennas and reflector antenna systems for space or aerospace applications.
• Specific expertise in Antenna-in-Package (AiP) or System-in-Package (SiP) design, including familiarity with wire bonding, flip-chip, and BGA packaging technologies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• 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. in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Experience creating and delivering complete fabrication data packages to external vendors and managing vendor communication.
• Experience with tolerance analysis that incorporates RF performance sensitivities.
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis and/or working with these teams to realize using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tools (e.g., ANSYS, NASTRAN).
• Familiarity with the design challenges associated with mm-Wave frequencies (e.g., E-band, V-band).
• Knowledge of low-CTE materials (e.g., Invar, Graphite-Cyanate Ester) and their application in dimensionally stable structures.
• Experience with advanced manufacturing techniques such as Diffusion Bonding, Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) of RF components, or EDM.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with RF and Electrical engineers to co-design and develop mechanical solutions for phased array antennas, reflector antennas, and their associated feed systems.
• Lead the mechanical design and layout of complex, multi-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs) and antenna substrates, ensuring compatibility with high-frequency RF performance requirements.
• Design and develop advanced Antenna-in-Package (AiP) solutions, focusing on micro-packaging and thermal management.
• Serve as the primary mechanical owner for Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Test (DFT), generating detailed fabrication packages (Gerbers, ODB++, 3D models, drawings) for external PCB and mechanical fab houses.
• Perform detailed structural, thermal, and vibration analysis on antenna assemblies—from the component level (AiP, RFICs) to the full array or reflector system—ensuring performance and survivability during launch and in the orbital environment.
• Conduct critical tolerance stack-up and sensitivity analyses to ensure that mechanical deviations (e.g., reflector surface RMS, feed alignment, PCB layer registration) do not degrade RF performance.
• Select and qualify advanced materials, including low-CTE metals (e.g., Invar), composites, and RF substrates, to maintain dimensional stability and electrical performance across extreme temperatures.
• Own the end-to-end mechanical design lifecycle in a CAD (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks) and PLM environment, from concept and detailed design to drawing creation, release, and manufacturing support.

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.
• 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: Senior