Drafter CAD - III

Blue Origin; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation provided

Travel up to 20%

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a senior Drafter to join the Engines team in Huntsville. You will own CAD models and 2D drawings for steel structures, tooling, and piping systems, supporting design iterations from concept to field-ready hardware.

You will collaborate with design engineers, technicians, and fabricators, maintain large assemblies, and apply drafting standards to ensure cost-effective, manufacturable solutions while meeting project schedules.

Qualifications

• 7+ years designing/drafting steel and aluminum structures in 3D CAD
• Experience in aerospace, manufacturing, or heavy industrial applications
• Familiarity with welding symbols and AWS D1.1 / D1.2

Responsibilities

• Develop 3D CAD models and 2D drawing packages for steel structures, tooling, and piping systems to industry standards; iterate on models per engineering feedback
• Develop design layouts, skeletons, installation drawings and packaging models; modify drawings to support design iteration
• Generate multiple packaging concepts; present options with trade details to engineers and stakeholders
• Coordinate model assemblies; create and maintain final end-item CAD models
• Translate development analyses to master CAD models; manage large assemblies and BOMs
• Act as drafting standards checker; deploy reasonable drafting standards across the group
• Apply DMFA principles to balance cost, schedule, and performance
• Partner with design engineers, fabricators, and vendors to resolve issues during fabrication and field integration
• Self-direct prioritization and scheduling of work for team deliverables
• Support configuration management and PDM workflows for program CAD data

Skills

Mechanical design

Drawing standards

Project prioritization

Tools

Siemens NX

Siemens Teamcenter

Job description

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 a member of a small, high-performing structural design team, you'll join a group of problem solvers who own the entire development process from concept to commissioning. You will take designs from CAD model to fabricated, field-ready hardware.

Our team is the backbone of operational infrastructure for our program. We design essential support hardware including test stands, towers, lift fixtures, pipe supports, specialized assembly tooling, transporters, maintenance platforms, and dolly systems — routinely in steel and aluminum, often with piping and other energized subsystems. As a drafter, you'll bring 3D models to life, develop the detail and assembly drawings that bring hardware to the shop floor, and iterate the models in response to engineering feedback. You will also contribute creatively during concepting and design trades — proposing configurations, resolving packaging constraints, and helping the team land on the right design.

In this role, you'll partner directly with design engineers, technicians, and fabricators to hit program objectives. You'll own CAD model and drawing maintenance across large assemblies, apply drafting standards consistently, and act as the team's single point of contact for drafting conventions. Beyond documentation, you'll make judgment calls that optimize designs for cost, manufacturability, and schedule — simplifying details where it matters and challenging configurations that are hard to build.

We're looking for a drafter with sharp judgment, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to clearly convey how a design goes together — through models, drawings, and conversation. Someone who elevates the work of the team: catching the issue before it reaches the shop, proposing the cleaner configuration during a review, and raising the bar on drawing quality across the group.

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:

• Develop 3D CAD models and 2D drawing packages for steel structures, tooling, and piping systems to industry standards (ASME Y14.3, Y14.5, Y14.100, Y14.41); iterate on models in response to engineering feedback and contribute design options during concepting and trade studies
• Develop design layouts, skeletons, installation drawings and overall packaging models; modify existing drawings and models to support design iteration
• Generate multiple packaging concepts for a given problem; present options and communicate relevant trade details to design engineers and stakeholders
• Coordinate model assemblies from other groups; create and maintain final end-item CAD models for team deliverables
• Translate development analysis models to master CAD models
• Manage large CAD assemblies and associated drawing packages, including configuration standards for product structure, bill of materials, and naming/organization of program data
• Act as the team's single point drafting standards checker; assist in the development and deployment of reasonable drafting standards across the group
• Apply Design for Manufacturing and Design for Assembly principles to achieve a balanced approach to cost, schedule, and performance
• Partner closely with design engineers, fabricators, and vendors to resolve drawing and model issues during fabrication and field integration
• Self-direct prioritization and scheduling of work activity in support of team deliverables
• Support configuration management and PDM workflows for program CAD data

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of recent experience designing/drafting steel and aluminum structural parts, components, or subsystems in a 3D CAD environment
• Strong mechanical design and integration skills using Siemens NX
• Experience using Siemens Teamcenter for CAD data management, configuration control, and release workflows
• Experience managing large CAD assemblies and associated drawing packages through the product life cycle
• Experience drafting structural equipment or tooling for aerospace, manufacturing, or other heavy industrial applications
• Proficiency with ASME Y14.3 (orthographic and pictorial views), Y14.5 (GD&T), Y14.100 (engineering drawing practices), and Y14.41 (model-based definition / digital product definition data practices)
• Familiarity with weld symbology and weld joint design per AWS D1.1 / D1.2
• Familiarity with existing applicable drafting standards and ability to apply them consistently across a team
• Practical knowledge of manufacturing processes (milling, turning, cutting, welding) and ability to design for fabrication
• Strong organization skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and drawing packages
• U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or otherwise able to review all export-controlled technical information
• 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

• Hands-on fabrication, welding, or machining experience acquired through personal pursuits or professional work
• Familiarity with ASME B30.20 / BTH-1 for below-the-hook lifting devices
• Experience creating pipe spool installation and fabrication drawings
• Large-scale model manipulation and performance management techniques for complex assemblies
• Experience with ergonomic and human factors considerations in tooling design
• Familiarity with OSHA 1910 subparts relevant to personnel access equipment