Mechanical Engineer III – Solar Test Equipment

Blue Origin; Washington; On-site; USD 121,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation provided

Travel up to 20%

Technical assessment interview

Job summary

Blue Origin, WA-based, seeks an experienced engineer to own the development and qualification test equipment for next-generation solar array programs. You will design and build electro-mechanical test stands, integrate sensors, and develop control software to validate flight hardware.

Responsibilities include test stand design, data analysis, and collaboration with mechanisms and electrical engineers to define requirements and instrumentation needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in a related engineering discipline as listed in the qualifications.
• 5+ years designing and building electromechanical test equipment or GSE.
• Experience integrating sensors and interpreting sensor data.
• Hands-on experience with test station design, fixturing, and harnessing.
• Proficiency with LabVIEW, Python, and MATLAB for test automation.
• Knowledge of GD&T per ASME Y14.5 and data analysis against requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and validate development test setups and QTP test stands for spacecraft mechanisms.
• Design electro-mechanical test stands with sensors, motors, and microcontrollers.
• Execute parasitic torque and friction test methods on drive trains and deployment mechanisms.
• Create sensor test stands to characterize position, temperature, current, and voltage across ranges.
• Develop diode/test stands for solar cell strings and panels testing.
• Build electrical test stations with harnessing, interfaces, signaling, and DAQ integration.
• Integrate sensors into test stands and calibrate instrumentation.
• Write LabVIEW/Python/PLC scripts to run automated test sequences.
• Analyze data to assess hardware performance and inform pass/fail criteria.
• Collaborate with designers and engineers to define requirements and instrumentation needs.

Skills

Electromechanical test equipment

Sensor integration

LabVIEW

Python

PLC/microcontroller programming

Creo CAD

Windchill / PDM

Data acquisition systems

Test stand design

GD&T ASME Y14.5

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Mechatronics / Mechatronic Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT

MATLAB

Windchill

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 (QTP) test stands or development test equipment for aerospace mechanisms or spacecraft hardware
• Experience with parasitic torque, friction, or drag-loss test methods for drive trains, gearboxes, or deployment mechanisms
• Experience with diode test stands or solar cell/string/panel electrical characterization test equipment
• Familiarity with solar array or photovoltaic subsystem testing (I-V curve testing, illumination/solar simulator test, bypass diode characterization)
• Experience with PLC or microcontroller programming (e.g., Beckhoff TwinCAT, LabVIEW, Arduino) for test stand automation
• Experience with GD&T per ASME Y14.5 and tolerance stackup analysis
• Experience with finite element analysis tools for static and dynamic structural verification of test fixtures
• Familiarity with aerospace workmanship standards (NASA-STD-8739.x) and their application to test equipment and fixturing
• Experience with Windchill for drawing release, change management, and configuration control
• Familiarity with deployable solar array structures, mechanisms, or large flexible spacecraft assemblies

Base Pay Range for: WA applicants is $121,023.00 - $169,432.20

Other site ranges may differ

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, we encourage you to apply anyway. 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: 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%, and an 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.

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 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. 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, sex, 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. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affiantive Action Plans, or 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.