Mechanical Engineer III – Solar GSE

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

As part of a hardworking team of specialists, technicians, and engineers, you will own the mechanical ground support equipment that makes Blue Origin's next-generation solar array programs possible. The Solar Center of Excellence is building world-class capabilities in solar array development—from materials and processes through assembly, test, and qualification—and the MGSE you design will be on the critical path every step of the way. If you thrive on hands-on problem solving, take pride in precision craftsmanship, and want your work to directly enable humanity's future in space, this is the team for you.

Special Mentions

• Relocation provided
• Travel expected up to 20% of the time
• Interviews will include a technical assessment

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design, analyze, fabricate, and verify the full suite of mechanical ground support equipment (GSE) for large-format solar array wings, from prototype assembly through engineering build and into qualification test
• Design and develop breakover and repositioning fixtures that allow solar wings to be rotated and handled during ground integration, ensuring load paths do not damage fragile photovoltaic assemblies or their substrates
• Design, build, and validate electro-mechanical test stands for testing spacecraft mechanism performance using force gauges, temperature sensors, motors, limit switches, and microcontrollers
• Design and conduct experiments to quantify test stand and GSE performance and inform flight hardware testing procedures
• Work with manufacturing and operations engineers to build early-stage assembly machinery and jigs with design elements that can translate to higher production rates
• Design and release a broad family of wing assembly fixtures including integration stands, alignment fixtures, drill jigs, harness routing guides, connector support brackets, and panel-level handling aids
• Apply strong Design for Manufacturability (DFM) intuition; write clear manufacturing specifications and work with in-house machinists and outside vendors to close on fabrication
• Communicate lessons learned from GSE integration to the design team with recommended design changes to improve solar array manufacturability and handling
• Lead design and analysis of gravity off-load systems, including dynamic load analysis, cable or counterbalance system design, and deployment simulation to accurately compensate for the distributed weight of solar array assemblies throughout the full kinematic range of motion
• Validate off-load accuracy through a combination of rigid-body kinematic analysis and instrumented checkout, selecting from constant-force springs, air bearings, overhead cable systems, or hybrid approaches as the design requires
• Support miscellaneous GSE needs as programs mature: Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) test fixture design, transportation and shipping containers for fragile panel assemblies, vibration test interface plates, and deployment restraint fixtures for pre-launch handling
• Generate component drawings, assembly drawings, and interface control documents with application of GD&T per ASME Y14.5; perform tolerance stackup analysis to verify interface compatibility with flight hardware
• Perform structural analysis sufficient to size load-bearing members, select appropriate fastener schemes, and verify structural load paths
• Collaborate in a fast-paced cross-disciplinary R&D environment with manufacturing engineers, mechanisms designers, test engineers, and technicians to ensure GSE is integrated, safe, and ready when the program needs it
• Coach, mentor, and technically assist junior mechanical engineers

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 5+ years of relevant experience in mechanical design, with demonstrated focus on tooling, fixtures, GSE, or ground handling equipment
• Experience designing and building mechanical hardware, including hands-on prototyping and acceptance testing
• Proven ability to own and deliver fully commissioned machines, fixtures, structures, and test equipment starting from a clean-sheet design
• Experience working with vendors to size, specify, purchase, and commission large-scale equipment
• Proficiency in 3D CAD using Creo (or equivalent parametric modeling tool); experience managing designs in Windchill or an equivalent PDM system
• Proficiency in GD&T per ASME Y14.5 and demonstrated experience performing tolerance stackup analysis across multi-part assemblies
• Working knowledge of structural analysis sufficient to size load-bearing members, select fastener schemes, and verify load paths
• Working knowledge of basic data acquisition systems and sensors used in mechanical test setups
• Experience with standard manufacturing processes including machining, sheet metal fabrication, extrusion-based construction, and additive manufacturing
• Experience writing manufacturing specifications and working with machine shops or outside vendors to close on fabrication
• Desire and drive to learn new skills and technical tools as the program develops
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing GSE, Mechanical GSE (MGSE), or handling fixtures for aerospace flight hardware, particularly large or fragile assemblies (solar arrays, antenna panels, composite structures)
• Familiarity with gravity off-load system design approaches: constant-force springs, air bearings, overhead cable systems, or hybrid counterbalance configurations
• Experience with rigid-body kinematic analysis and deployment simulation for mechanisms with a large range of motion
• Familiarity with cleanroom and high-bay operational constraints and their impact on tooling design
• Experience with TVAC test fixture design, vibration test interface plates, or transportation and shipping container design for fragile assemblies
• Familiarity with aerospace workmanship standards (NASA-STD-8739.x) and their application to tooling and handling equipment
• Experience with finite element analysis tools for static and dynamic structural verification of tooling
• Experience designing for hybrid manufacturing environments (partial automation) and mass-production environments
• Familiarity with deployable solar array structures or large flexible spacecraft assemblies
• Experience with Windchill for drawing release, change management, and configuration control

 

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $121,023.00 - $169,432.20

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check
• Required for Certain Job Profiles:  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.
• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include:  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.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.