Lead Spacecraft Solar Array Engineer for End-to-End Flight

Socket.dev; California (MO); On-site; USD 144,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Education Support Program

Stock Options

Parental leave

Job summary

Blue Origin seeks a Senior Spacecraft Solar Array Engineer to own the solar array development from concept through production. You will drive requirements, lead design reviews, and coordinate across disciplines, impacting cost, schedule, and yield as a subject matter expert during integration and testing.

The role emphasizes end‑to‑end responsibility for a critical flight subsystem within a fast‑paced, safety‑driven space program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or Materials Science Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of hands‑on solar panel or photovoltaic assembly development experience, with at least 3 years in space applications.
• Demonstrated experience designing, specifying, procuring, and testing space‑grade solar panels, including PV cell selection and panel construction.
• Familiarity with solar panel design standards and test methods such as AIAA S-112 and space environment effects.
• Experience with high‑voltage spacecraft design above 50V and solar array interface to spacecraft power bus architectures.
• Eligibility or status allowing access to export‑controlled technical data in the U.S.

Responsibilities

• Own the full design and development of space‑grade photovoltaic assemblies from concept through flight‑qualified, production‑ready hardware.
• Derive and maintain solar array requirements, ICDs, and design specs in coordination with systems engineering.
• Lead design trade studies for solar array architecture, cell selection, and high‑voltage bus compatibility.
• Characterize array performance across illumination angles, temperatures, and space environment conditions.
• Lead design reviews and drive DFx (design for test, manufacture, cost) initiatives.
• Define and support component‑level and system‑level test programs and integration testing.
• Serve as SME for solar array integration and troubleshooting during vehicle integration.
• Communicate status, risks, and challenges to program leadership and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with manufacturing operations and supply chain for smooth production transition.
• Maintain complete solar array design package within configuration management.

Skills

High‑voltage design

Space applications

Cross‑disciplinary collaboration

Requirements derivation

DFx principles

Technical communication

Export control compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or Materials Science Engineering, Physics, or related field

Tools

Creo

Ansys

MATLAB/Simulink

Simscape

STK

Job description

Blue Origin seeks a Senior Spacecraft Solar Array Engineer to own the solar array development from concept through production. You will drive requirements, lead design reviews, and coordinate across disciplines, impacting cost, schedule, and yield as a subject matter expert during integration and testing.

The role emphasizes end‑to‑end responsibility for a critical flight subsystem within a fast‑paced, safety‑driven space program.