Tribology Engineer III

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 engineers, you will contribute to and lead investigations into tribology-related challenges from around the company. This role applies standard engineering methods to design and analyze systems and processes, developing and supporting engineering artifacts across the full lifecycle — from fabrication and assembly through verification, test, and operations. Responsibilities include implementing operating procedures, troubleshooting system malfunctions, and running feasibility studies and testing on new or modified designs. The role also involves evaluating customer design proposals and specifications for feasibility, cost, and maintainability, and specifying or directing modifications to ensure components meet engineering and performance requirements. This role provides a critical function in support of all development and production activities within the Enterprise Engineering M&P Engineering Organization, based in the Kent, Washington area.

Job Description 

Special Mentions: 

• Relocation provided 
• Shifts available: First
• Interviews will include a technical assessment 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Partner with component design engineers to optimize seals, bearings, and sliding mechanisms for performance and longevity. 

• Assess and develop wear interfaces, including specifying surface finishes and coating solutions that meet mission requirements. 

• Identify lubrication and wear-related risks and suggest effective mitigation strategies. 

• Plan, recommend, and execute material screening and wear-life test campaigns to validate design choices and uncover damage modalities. 

• Influence material system selection, design for producibility, and rugged/robust product architecture across the program lifecycle. 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• B.S. degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Material Science, or related field with a minimum of 5 years product-focused tribology application experience. 

• Hands-on experience partnering with hardware design function to develop and execute test plans to characterize friction and wear of tribological systems containing metallic and non-metallic elements. 

• Fundamental understanding of the behavior of material interfaces in relative motion, to support design decisions with respect to operation in high vibration and/or in-space environments. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated experience supporting flight production programs. 

• Experience with characterization of wear surfaces and materials using methods such as: optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence, fractography, etc. 

• Expertise in at least one of the following: 

• Vacuum-compatible dry film lubricants and deposition processes 

• Tribology of metal-on-metal interfaces exposed to wide temperature ranges 

• Vacuum- and propellant-compatible greases 

• Experience with surface engineering, residual stress treatments, superfinishing, coatings and other surface modifications. 

• Demonstrated experience authoring specifications and process control documents. 

• Experience with statistical analysis methods and related tools. 

• Familiarity with standard methods for testing mechanical properties (including fatigue, fracture, creep, stress rupture) of metallic and soft materials.
• Experience with failure analysis and forensic investigations.

 

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.