Vehicle Test Engineer III

Blue Origin • Seattle, WA

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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 New Shepard program. New Shepard is a reusable suborbital rocket system designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary of space. Through operational reusability, New Shepard supports our mission of lowering the cost of access to space. As part of a hardworking team of engineers, launch vehicle operators, and technicians, you will be key in ensuring New Shepard vehicles are built and operate per program requirements, a necessary part of validating they are safe and rated for human space flight. You will be responsible for planning, managing, and running functional/verification testing on flight vehicles in a production environment. You will share in the team’s impact on all aspects executing the vehicle verification plan – producing standard operating procedures for common vehicle operations, performing complex subsystem and integrated system level testing, and processing and archiving test data. Our team is a small, resourceful group of organized and hardworking test engineers that serve as the integrated test and vehicle operations focals within New Shepard at the Blue Origin Kent site, managing test execution through the entire process. In initial planning phases, we work with design and system engineering teams to plan tests on the subsystem and integrated system scale, ensuring tests validate pertinent requirements. We also design, procure, and build test equipment and data acquisition systems as required, and drive the development/release of safety hazard analyses. Additionally, our team members coordinate test crews, scheduling, and vehicle configurations needed for test campaigns. During testing, our team members serve as console operators, controlling the onboard/vehicle and ground systems. We also support system troubleshooting to inform root cause and non-conformance investigations. At the completion of a test campaign, our team conducts data compilation and analysis, and verifies key test parameters were met. We also compile and regularly act on lessons learned and work to drive gains in efficiency while reducing process gaps. 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!

Requirements

• 3-5+ years experience working with complex and high energy systems (e.g. high pressure gas, hydraulic, and/or electrical) - including operating, troubleshooting, and general problem solving
• Experience leading test teams as a Test Conductor or Test Engineer, organizing test equipment, personnel, and schedule on top of test execution
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, standards, and technical requirements
• Strong safety mindset and experience, including hands-on experience planning and conducting hazardous or critical operations
• Ability to utilize test instrumentation and control components: pressure transducers, thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, accelerometers, flow meters, load cells, relays, solenoid valves, power supplies
• Experience developing, writing, and updating subsystem or multi-system procedures and work instructions
• Strong written, personal, and computer skills. Ability to communicate clearly and appropriately at the executive leadership level and on the shop floor.
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in engineering discipline (aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or physics desired)
• Able to work weekend shifts or off-shifts as required for particular tasks or test series
• Ability travel 15% of time to support training, testing, and operations work at Texas site.

Nice To Haves

• Experience operating (directly or remotely) pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems and electronics/control systems
• Experience designing, building, and integrating electronic test equipment on test stands or consoles that interact with systems
• Familiarity with typical aerospace vehicle pressure systems and structure manufacturing technologies
• Demonstrated familiarity with data acquisition systems, data analysis and data processing
• Demonstrated ability to work with test, flight and safety critical hardware, tools and shop equipment
• Experience developing hazard analyses for system operations or maintenance
• Experience developing and working on Linux-based test systems
• Experienced with high pressure system design, setup, and handling
• Experience with grounding/bonding and electromagnetic interference surveys

Responsibilities

• planning, managing, and running functional/verification testing on flight vehicles in a production environment
• producing standard operating procedures for common vehicle operations
• performing complex subsystem and integrated system level testing
• processing and archiving test data
• plan tests on the subsystem and integrated system scale, ensuring tests validate pertinent requirements
• design, procure, and build test equipment and data acquisition systems as required, and drive the development/release of safety hazard analyses
• coordinate test crews, scheduling, and vehicle configurations needed for test campaigns
• serve as console operators, controlling the onboard/vehicle and ground systems
• support system troubleshooting to inform root cause and non-conformance investigations
• conduct data compilation and analysis, and verifies key test parameters were met
• compile and regularly act on lessons learned and work to drive gains in efficiency while reducing process gaps

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: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees