Senior Civil Design Engineer

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 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 the Senior Civil Design Engineer on a small, high-performing structural design team, you will serve as the team's civil design lead — owning the most complex facility and infrastructure work and providing the senior technical voice on civil-structural design, analysis, and construction decisions. You will design, analyze, and see through construction of the buildings, foundations, and site infrastructure that house our test hardware and operational equipment, working directly with end users, geotechnical partners, and construction contractors to deliver robust technical solutions.

Our team is the backbone of operational infrastructure for the program. We design essential support hardware and the facilities that house it — including test stands, buildings, personnel platforms, foundations, equipment pads, and site improvements. On the civil side, we routinely design and analyze steel-framed structures and reinforced concrete elements to industry codes (AISC-360, ACI 318, ASCE-7, IBC) and coordinate with geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, and process engineers to deliver integrated facility solutions.

In this role, you'll own the full design cycle with no oversight — from initial concept and programming through detailed design, permitting support, and construction oversight. You'll be the internal design authority for the civil-structural work our team owns: setting the technical direction, coordinating with external design firms and specialist consultants, and partnering with general contractors and inspectors to ensure the design is built as intended. You'll also collaborate closely with our structural design engineers who deliver the operational hardware installed within those facilities.

We're looking for a licensed civil or structural engineer with deep design experience, strong technical judgment, and a hands-on doer mindset — someone comfortable both in the office and on the jobsite. If you enjoy owning civil-structural design from clean sheet through construction and being the senior technical voice on your team's facility work, this position offers the right blend of design leadership and construction interface.

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:

• Own end-to-end design of the most complex buildings, foundations, and site infrastructure supporting program operations
• Serve as internal design authority for the team's civil-structural work — setting technical direction, defending design decisions to leadership and stakeholders, and ensuring quality across deliverables
• Create detailed structural drawings and calculations to industry standards (AISC-360, ACI 318, ASCE-7, IBC, IEBC as applicable)
• Perform advanced structural analysis using structural design software and hand-calculation methods; author analysis reports documenting load combinations, demand-to-capacity ratios, and code compliance
• Coordinate with geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, and process engineers to integrate structural, foundation, and service requirements
• Manage relationships with external design firms, specialist consultants, and general contractors — reviewing calculations, drawings, and specifications, holding them to the team's technical standards, and resolving issues during design and construction
• Interface with local building officials and permitting authorities to support permit approvals and address permit review comments
• Develop specifications, Requests for Proposal (RFPs), and technical scope for construction contractors; lead contractor selection and pre-construction meetings
• Provide construction support — Requests for Information (RFIs), submittal reviews, site visits, punch list closeout, and construction observation
• Serve as the team's technical resource for civil-structural questions, trade studies, and cross-discipline coordination decisions
• Mentor less-experienced engineers through informal technical guidance and design reviews
• Provide schedule, hours, and budget input to leadership; inform program-level technical risk and trade decisions

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. degree in civil or structural engineering (or related discipline) from an ABET-accredited institution
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Civil or Structural engineering — issued in any U.S. state or territory
• Minimum 7 years of experience designing and delivering structural or civil infrastructure through the full project life cycle
• Demonstrated ability to own complex designs from concept through construction with no oversight
• Demonstrated technical leadership — reviewing designs and analyses, setting standards, and raising the technical bar
• Advanced experience with structural design software and hand-calculation methods
• Strong drawing and modeling proficiency
• Deep design and analysis experience with steel-framed buildings and reinforced concrete structures
• Strong working knowledge of industry codes (AISC-360, ACI 318, ASCE-7, IBC, IEBC)
• Experience with municipal permitting processes and interfacing with local building authorities
• Experience managing external design firms, specialist consultants, or general contractors
• Strong organization and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects
• Willingness to travel up to 20% to support field activities, contractor visits, and facility integration
• 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

• M.S. degree in civil or structural engineering
• Experience as engineer of record on stamped drawings for facilities or infrastructure programs
• Experience designing structural infrastructure for heavy equipment installations, test facilities, or large-scale hardware programs
• Experience with test stand foundations, high-load-capacity structures, or vibration-critical or thermally-loaded civil designs
• Experience with Seismic Design Category D or higher structures
• Experience with steel connection design (bolted and welded), including deep sections and moment connections
• Experience formally or informally mentoring less-experienced engineers, including technical development and design review support
• Experience standing up new facilities or capabilities — clean-sheet civil design rather than adaptations of existing structures
• Knowledge of process piping (ASME B31.3), mechanical, or electrical building service coordination
• Experience with special inspections (AWS D1.1 welded steel, ACI 318 concrete)
• Familiarity with OSHA construction safety standards (29 CFR 1926)
• Experience with fire protection, egress, and life-safety code requirements
• Experience working alongside mechanical or structural engineers on hybrid civil-mechanical hardware
• Working knowledge of ASME B30.20 / BTH-1 for below-the-hook lifting hardware attached to facility structure

 

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20

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.