Mechanical Engineer III - Solar Test Equipment

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation provided

Travel up to 20%

Technical assessment interview

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking an experienced engineer to own the development and qualification test equipment for solar array programs in the ACE group. You will design test stands, integrate sensors, and develop automation scripts to validate flight hardware under varied conditions.

The role requires a strong background in electromechanical systems, CAD design in Creo, and hands-on hardware experience, with relocation and travel up to 20% expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical or Electrical or related engineering.
• 5+ years designing and building electromechanical test equipment or GSE.
• Experience integrating sensors into test systems and interpreting data.
• Electrical test station design with fixturing, harnessing, and interfaces.
• Hands-on wiring and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware.
• Knowledge of microcontrollers, PLCs, or embedded control systems.
• Proficiency in Creo; Windchill or equivalent PDM.
• Experience with data acquisition and test automation software.
• Knowledge of structural analysis for load paths and fixture sizing.
• Experience writing test procedures and analyzing data to meet requirements.
• U.S. citizen or eligible for U.S. work authorization.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and validate development test setups and QTP stands for spacecraft mechanisms.
• Design electromechanical test stands using sensors, motors, switches, and microcontrollers.
• Develop test methods to quantify friction, cogging, and drag in drive trains.
• Create sensor test stands for position, temperature, current, and voltage.
• Assist in diode test stands for solar cell strings and panels.
• Build electrical test stations and fixturing, including harnessing and DAQ integration.
• Select and calibrate sensors and instrumentation into test stands and GSE.
• Apply mechatronic design to integrate structure, actuators, sensors, and controllers.
• Write test procedures and develop data acquisition scripts (LabVIEW/Python/PLC).
• Collaborate with designers and engineers to define test requirements and criteria.
• Generate drawings and interface documentation; apply GD&T as needed.

Skills

Mechatronics design

Electromechanical systems

Education

Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics/Mechatronic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline

Tools

Creo

Windchill

LabVIEW

Python

MATLAB

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 is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

As part of a hardworking team of specialists, technicians, and engineers, you will own the development and qualification test equipment that proves out Blue Origin's next-generation solar array programs. The Solar Center of Excellence is building world-class capabilities in solar array development-from materials and processes through assembly, test, and qualification-and the electromechanical test stands, sensor systems, and test fixturing you design will validate flight hardware performance every step of the way. If you thrive at the intersection of mechanical design, electrical instrumentation, and controls, and want your work to directly enable humanity’s future in space, this is the team for you.

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:

• Design, build, and validate development test setups and Qualification Test Procedure (QTP) test stands for spacecraft mechanisms, drive electronics, and solar array subsystems
• Design electro-mechanical test stands using force/torque sensors, temperature sensors, motors, limit switches, and microcontrollers to characterize spacecraft mechanism performance
• Design and execute parasitic torque test stands and test methods to quantify friction, cogging, and drag losses in drive trains and deployment mechanisms
• Design sensor test stands and test methods to characterize sensor performance (e.g., position, temperature, current, voltage) across operating range and environmental conditions
• Assist in the design, build, and checkout of diode test stands supporting bypass/blocking diode characterization for solar cell strings and panels
• Design and build electrical test stations and fixturing, including harnessing, connectorized interfaces, signal conditioning, and DAQ integration for mechanism and electrical subsystem test
• Select, integrate, and calibrate sensors and instrumentation (load cells, torque sensors, encoders, RTDs, thermocouples) into test stands and GSE
• Apply mechatronic design principles, integrating mechanical structure, actuators, sensors, and embedded control/microcontroller systems into a single test asset
• Write test procedures and develop data acquisition and control software/scripts (e.g., LabVIEW, Python, or PLC/microcontroller code) to run automated or semi-automated test sequences
• Reduce and analyze test data to characterize hardware performance and inform pass/fail criteria against requirements
• Collaborate with mechanisms designers, electrical engineers, and test engineers to define test requirements, success criteria, and instrumentation needs for development and qualification testing
• Generate component drawings, wiring diagrams, and interface documentation; apply GD&T per ASME Y14.5 as needed for precision test fixturing
• Communicate lessons learned from test stand development and use to the design team with recommended improvements to hardware testability
• Coach, mentor, and technically assist junior engineers

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics/Mechatronic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 5+ years of relevant experience designing and building electromechanical test equipment, test stands, or GSE
• Experience integrating sensors (force, torque, temperature, position, current/voltage) into test systems and interpreting sensor data
• Experience with electrical test station design, including fixturing, harnessing, and connectorized interfaces
• Hands-on experience building, wiring, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware, including acceptance and checkout testing
• Working knowledge of microcontrollers, PLCs, or embedded control systems as applied to test stand automation
• Proficiency in 3D CAD using Creo (or equivalent parametric modeling tool) for mechanical test fixture design; experience managing designs in Windchill or an equivalent PDM system
• Experience with data acquisition systems and test automation software (e.g., LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB)
• Working knowledge of structural analysis sufficient to size load-bearing members of test fixtures and verify load paths
• Experience writing test procedures and reducing/analyzing test data against requirements
• 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

• Experience designing Qualification Test Procedure