Mechanical Test Engineer III

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 diverse team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

This position reports to New Glenn’s Second Stage, Customer and Payload Accommodations team. As part of a hardworking team of diverse specialists, technicians, and engineers, you will be performing tasks across the spectrum of design, test and evaluation for structures and mechanical systems. This will require participation in test requirement development, test design, ground support equipment design, special test equipment design, instrumentation, data acquisition, and test control.

Your testing of these systems under terrestrial gravity and atmosphere will require innovative thinking and creative execution in design. You will work closely with sub-system designers to create the test requirements which support the verification requirements and requisite model validation data. You will take the tests and guide them from initial test architecture through execution and provide intended data products for design verification. Products for these tests require your skills in writing test plans and reports, creating drawings and 3D models, planning resources, scheduling, coordinating supply and logistics, analysis for loads and environments, instrumentation design, data collection, and presenting plans and processes for review. You will also be responsible for hardware assembly and conducting test operations. You will have support from subject matter experts during the test design and are not required to be the expert in all fields of the tests.

We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Responsibilities:

• Develop and author Test Plans, Test Procedures, and Test Reports.
• Consult with design engineers or subject matter experts to determine test requirements.
• Conduct hands-on explosive, shock, vibration, thermal, humidity and vacuum testing on flight hardware in accordance with AIAA-S113A, MIL-STD-810, SMC-S-016 and MIL-STD-1540.
• Lead the conduct of Test Design Reviews, Integration Readiness Reviews, and Test Readiness reviews.
• Design and develop Special Test Equipment (STE) and integrate Ground Support Equipment (GSE) to simulate and stimulate Articles Under Test (AUTs) or capture AUT output and interface performance.
• Operate test consoles and work with a team of engineers & technicians to execute component level testing.
• Ensure all operations are performed safely, on time and in a professional manner.
• Work with test, flight and safety critical hardware, tools, and shop equipment.
• Maintain cleanliness of test equipment and testing area.
• Conduct and/or oversee several test projects simultaneously while supporting operation schedules.
• Configure test setups, fixtures and instrumentation per test plans and standards.
• Identify, communicate, and mitigate cost, schedule, and technical risks.
• Participate in development and gated design reviews of system under test to implement testability, instrumentation, and operability features during the design phase to facilitate verification.
• Coordinate with suppliers on acquisition of requisite GSE and STE while leveraging standard commercial devices to the maximum extent possible.
• Have frequent inter-organizational and customer interactions on difficult technical issues.
• Work independently to determine and develop approaches to solutions.
• Contribute to the mentoring & training of other personnel.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of applicable experience with the following: hands-on assembly and test of aerospace hardware or systems, ordnance testing, and test campaign planning.
• 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.
• Ability to utilize test instrumentation and control components: pressure transducers, thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, accelerometers, flow meters, load cells, relays, solenoid valves, etc.
• Experience working directly with high energy systems (ordnance, 6k psi pressure, High voltage, and cryogenics).
• Direct experience developing test infrastructure, integrating test articles, performing tests with emphasis on Mechanical, Structural, and Fluid systems.
• General knowledge of test design, test planning process, instrumentation, structures, fluids, and mechanisms.
• B.S. in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, or Physics or related technical subject area.
• Experience providing imaginative and detailed technical solutions to a wide range of problems such as Test Fixtures, lifting and off-loading test articles for interface and separation tests, and preloading test articles to emulate test load environment.
• Excellent verbal, written, and graphical communication skills.
• Ability to quickly assess and resolve any test failures or related issues.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast paced, dynamic work environment.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.

Desired:

• Washington state licensed blaster.
• Experience with NI Labview / TestStand, Matlab, MATLAB/Simulink, Confluence, JIRA.
• Experience with design tools such as Creo, Windchill, or CATIA V5 or equivalent software.
• Demonstrated expertise with any industry standard analysis codes or program: Ansys, Nastran, Optistruct, LS Dyna, Hypermesh, and Hypersizer.

Compensation Range for:

WA applicants is $111,690.00-$156,366.00

Other site ranges may differ

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

Inclusivity 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 a diverse, inclusive, and 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.

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.

Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

Discretionary bonus: Bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results.

Eligibility for benefits varies by role type, please check with your recruiter for a comprehensive list of the benefits available for this role.

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, diverse, 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, in which all employees recognize and appreciate the diversity of individual team members. 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, gender, 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 “EEO Is the Law,” 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 EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com.

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