Additive Manufacturing Production Engineer - Materials & Processes (LPBF)

Blue Origin; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a hands-on Additive Manufacturing engineer specialized in Laser Powder Bed Fusion. The role focuses on diagnosing real-time LPBF issues, optimizing parameters, and ensuring end-to-end process control from printing to finishing.

Candidates must have 5+ years with AM metal machines and LPBF in production, with strong data analysis and DOE experience. The position requires onsite presence in Kent, Washington, with a track record of improving yield and repeatability in

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience with AM metal machines and parameter development, LPBF in production
• Direct printing experience with stainless steel, copper, nickel, and titanium alloys on LPBF systems
• Deep working knowledge of LPBF machine architecture and subsystems impact on part quality
• Independent defect diagnosis and root-cause determination across machine, material, and parameters
• Proven ability to adjust and validate LPBF process parameters to resolve production issues

Responsibilities

• Support active LPBF production lines daily — diagnose issues in real time and adjust parameters to resolve them
• Understand LPBF machine architecture to distinguish machine-induced defects from material/parameter defects
• Own the LPBF process end-to-end: printing, heat treatment, and finishing
• Conduct root cause investigations on powder and printed material issues
• Production-harden new materials and process parameters for LPBF
• Develop and stabilize LPBF parameters to improve yield, throughput, and repeatability
• Design and execute DOEs on production LPBF machines to optimize material properties and efficiency
• Partner cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain to resolve production escapes

Skills

AM metal machines

LPBF process control

root cause analysis

statistical process control

data analysis tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science/Mechanical/Chemical Eng

Tools

Minitab

JMP

Excel

Job description

We are a diverse team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

We are looking for a hands-on AM engineer who knows Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) machines inside and out — someone who can walk up to a printer having issues, understand what's happening mechanically and thermally, and know exactly which parameters to adjust to fix it. This is a production role for someone who has spent real time turning knobs, running DOEs on the floor, and root-causing defects down to machine architecture, not just process theory.

Responsibilities:

• Support active LPBF production lines daily — diagnose issues in real time and know which specific parameters (laser power, scan speed, layer thickness, hatch spacing, gas flow, etc.) to adjust to resolve them
• Understand LPBF machine architecture (optics/laser systems, recoater/powder delivery, gas flow dynamics, thermal management) well enough to distinguish machine‑induced defects from material or parameter‑induced defects
• Own the LPBF process end‑to‑end: printing, heat treatment, and finishing
• Conduct root cause investigations on powder and printed material issues, tracing defects back to specific machine subsystems, parameters, or material batches
• Production‑harden new materials and process parameters for LPBF, transitioning them from development to serial production
• Develop and stabilize LPBF parameters to improve yield, throughput, and repeatability
• Design and execute DOEs on production LPBF machines to optimize material properties and production efficiency
• Partner cross‑functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain to resolve production escapes and prevent recurrence

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years’ experience with AM metal machines and parameter development, specifically LPBF in a production environment
• Direct printing experience with stainless steel, copper, nickel, and titanium alloys on LPBF systems
• Deep working knowledge of LPBF machine architecture and how machine subsystems (laser/optics, powder delivery, gas flow, build chamber) affect part quality
• Demonstrated ability to independently diagnose defects and determine root cause — distinguishing between machine, material, and parameter‑driven issues
• Proven track record of adjusting and validating LPBF process parameters (not just reading recipes) to resolve production issues
• Comfortable working on the shop floor in a fast‑paced, hands‑on production environment with shifting priorities
• Able to be onsite full‑time and support active production schedules
• Ability to earn trust, build strong cross‑functional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion
• 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
• Experience with statistical process control (SPC) and correlating in‑process monitoring data with NDT results and defects
• Background in practical data analysis to drive process decisions (Minitab, JMP, Excel, or similar tools)
• Experience leading or supporting production ramp‑ups or new product introduction (NPI) in an aerospace/defense setting