Materials and Process Engineer II – Friction Stir Welding

Blue Origin Personnel, LLC; Florida; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Disability insurance

401(k) with company match

Education Support Program

Stock options

Paid time off

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Materials and Process Engineer II – Friction Stir Welding to develop and optimize FSW processes for aluminum structures in the New Glenn program. You will characterize materials, support production, and ensure weld quality across cross-functional teams to enable safe, repeatable spaceflight.

The role emphasizes collaboration, rigorous design verification, and documentation, with a focus on meeting aerospace specifications. U.S. citizenship or eligible status is required.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree or higher in materials engineering, welding engineering, mechanical engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in the field of metallurgy with aerospace materials know-how.
• 2+ years of experience with definition & qualification of welding processes.
• Experience developing material characterization plans including mechanical and environmental testing.
• Ability to earn trust and work with diverse teams in a culture of inclusion.
• U.S. citizen or eligible for permanent residence, or refugee/asylum status as applicable.
• Familiarity with friction stir welding of aluminum alloys is a plus.
• Aerospace materials experience in aluminums and stainless steels is beneficial.
• Ability to develop engineering requirements and work instruction documents.

Responsibilities

• Support production welding of full scale, cryogenic tanks.
• Lead or contribute to development/optimization of FSW processes to meet specification requirements.
• Troubleshoot weld tool equipment as required.
• Collaborate with tank production teams to ensure timely weld qualification deliverables.
• Contribute to weld process/qualification documentation and readiness reviews.
• Oversee metallographic and mechanical testing of welds and evaluate data.
• Evaluate weld defects and propose improvements or repairs.
• Coordinate with QA/engineering on non-conformances for tank structure defects.
• Travel as needed for reviews and training.
• Work with cross-functional teams selecting materials and processes.

Skills

2+ years metallurgy

Welding process qualification

Material characterization

Cross-functional collaboration

US citizen / eligible status

Friction stir welding familiarity

Aerospace materials knowledge

Sourcing/manufacturing/testing of AMS

Engineering requirements writing

Education

B.S. in materials engineering / welding / mechanical engineering or related field

Job description

Application close date: Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed. 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 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.

Job Profile: Materials and Process Engineer II – Friction Stir Welding

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. As part of a hardworking team of diverse engineers you will be responsible for materials and process engineering tasks related to the design and manufacturing of the New Glenn launch vehicle system. Primary day‑to‑day focus will be developing, optimizing, and characterizing friction stir welding (FSW) process in aluminum structures. These tasks include material characterization, supporting design for production, material selection, and quality control. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Responsibilities

• Support production welding of full scale, cryogenic tanks.
• Lead or contribute to development/optimization of FSW processes to meet specification requirements.
• Troubleshoot weld tool equipment as required.
• Work closely with tank production teams to ensure that floor support is provided in a timely manner and weld qualification deliverables are met in accordance with the overall launch schedule.
• Contribute to weld process/qualification documentation, internal/external readiness reviews, etc.
• Oversee metallographic and mechanical testing of welds and weld samples, and evaluation of materials characterization data or NDT results.
• Evaluate weld defects and recommend improvement plans or repair procedures.
• Work hand in hand with quality assurance/engineering for rapid disposition and documentation of non‑conformances for tank structure defects.
• Travel as needed for reviews, training, and other tank production support activities.
• Work with cross‑functional teams that are responsible for selecting materials, manufacturing processes, and suppliers to produce world class aerospace hardware.
• Define and write material test plans for design value generation, execute sourcing of testing, and evaluate test data to develop statistics‑based design values.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree or higher in materials engineering, welding engineering, mechanical engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of experience (or with relevant M.S.) in the field of metallurgy, with deep knowledge of the interplay between composition, process, microstructure & properties in aerospace materials (preferably in Aluminum alloys).
• 2+ years of experience with definition & qualification of welding processes (fusion and/or solid state).
• Experience developing and executing plans for material characterization, such as mechanical testing, environmental testing, and material compatibility analysis.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional 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.
• Desired: Familiarity in friction stir welding of aluminum and/or aluminum‑lithium alloys for aerospace applications is a huge plus.
• Past experience in the aerospace industry, including materials & processes.
• Proven experience with sourcing, analyzing, manufacturing, and testing of aerospace grade materials such as aluminums and/or stainless steels.
• Ability to develop engineering requirements and work instruction documents.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government commercial space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the U.S. (i.e. current green card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1157-1158. Learn more about the ITAR here.

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.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to view a copy of Blue Origin’s Affi… and applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request. We’re committed to building the road to space so our children can build the future.

Culture 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 an 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, 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.

Background Check Required for all positions

Background Check Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check. Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation. Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training. Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre‑employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical.

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%
• Education Support Program
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)

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

Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company’s intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company’s sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Additional Company Statement

We’re committed to building the road to space so our children can build the future.

Blue Origin was founded with a vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue Origin believes it has an important role in building a road to space and lowering the cost of getting there. At Blue Origin, we’re working on this today by developing fully reusable launch vehicles and systems that are safe, reliable and affordable. Every launch vehicle is designed for human spaceflight from the beginning and able to ferry payloads to space.

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