Lead Encapsulation Process Engineer for Space Solar Arrays

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Stock options

Job summary

Blue Origin in Seattle, WA is seeking a Senior Encapsulation Engineer to own the lamination, edge-sealing, and barrier deposition process development pipeline for space-grade module encapsulation. You will define process parameters, equipment configurations, inline quality controls, and accelerated aging tests to assure long-term durability in space.

Collaborating with suppliers and colleagues across the ACE team, you will scale encapsulation flows from coupon-level to full-module formats, write

Qualifications

• B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in encapsulation, lamination, or packaging process development for photovoltaic, OLED, or flexible electronics applications.
• Demonstrated experience developing lamination or sealing processes.
• Strong understanding of polymer processing: glass transition, crosslinking kinetics, adhesion science, and aging mechanisms.
• Experience with accelerated aging test design and lifetime prediction methodologies.
• Proficiency with process characterization tools: DSC, TGA, DMA, peel testing, optical microscopy, moisture sensors.
• Track record of transferring encapsulation processes from development to production-representative scale.

Responsibilities

• Develop lamination processes for solar module encapsulation: temperature profiles, pressure schedules, atmosphere control, and cure protocols compatible with thermally sensitive perovskite layers
• Qualify encapsulant materials (EVA, POE, ionomer, silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, etc) for compatibility - ensuring no chemical interaction with the device stack in fabrication and throughout operation.
• Develop and validate thin-film encapsulation processes (PECVD, ALD-based barriers) in collaboration with other team members
• Design and execute accelerated aging studies for the environments in space and on the way to the launch pad: humidity, thermal cycling, UV exposure, particle radiation, and electrostatic buildup
• Optimize edge-sealing processes (desiccant-filled edge seals, laser-sealed glass, butyl rubber, UV-cure adhesives) for hermeticity and long-term reliability
• Establish inline process monitoring and acceptance criteria for encapsulation steps (optical inspection, leak testing, adhesion pull tests)
• Perform failure analysis on degraded or failed modules
• Develop process documentation, SPC charts, and process capability studies for each encapsulation step
• Scale encapsulation processes from coupon-level to full module format
• Interface with equipment vendors to specify and commission lamination, sealing, and barrier deposition tools
• Work with your customers on the broader solar array product team to provide a product that is compatible with integration at-scale, for small (several kW) to large (100kW+) array designs

Skills

5+ years of encapsulation experience

Lamination/Sealing processes

Polymer processing knowledge

Aging test design experience

DSC

TGA

DMA

Peel testing

Optical microscopy

Moisture sensors

Scale-up from development to pilot/生产

Education

B.Sc. Chemical Engineering

B.Sc. Materials Science

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Laminate equipment

PV encapsulation tools

ALD/PECVD tools

Job description

Blue Origin in Seattle, WA is seeking a Senior Encapsulation Engineer to own the lamination, edge-sealing, and barrier deposition process development pipeline for space-grade module encapsulation. You will define process parameters, equipment configurations, inline quality controls, and accelerated aging tests to assure long-term durability in space.

Collaborating with suppliers and colleagues across the ACE team, you will scale encapsulation flows from coupon-level to full-module formats, write