Project Engineer - Launch Infrastructure

Blue Origin; California; Hybrid; USD 121,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Stock options

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a project engineer to own and deliver launch infrastructure from concept to completion. You will evaluate future site locations, coordinate with Space Force and agencies, and manage design, construction, and environmental compliance.

You will translate requirements into actionable plans and drive projects on schedule and within budget. This role combines strategic planning with hands-on field work, requiring strong communication with executive leadership and field teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field required.
• 5+ years of relevant engineering or project management experience.
• 2+ years of launch infrastructure, test facility, or land development experience.
• Experience with state/federal agencies on permitting and land use.
• Ability to evaluate sites for infrastructure feasibility (utilities, access, safety).
• Ability to read and work from technical plans, drawings, specs, and modeling apps.
• Experience with scoping, budgeting, and scheduling at multiple levels.
• Familiarity with standard construction procedures and safety standards.
• Demonstrated ability to manage technically complex projects independently.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate future launch and test site locations.
• Analyze growth, vehicle roadmaps, and operational needs; plan capacity ahead of demand.
• Develop site layouts, master plans, and ROM cost estimates considering utilities and environmental constraints.
• Translate vehicle/operational requirements into planning documents.
• Collaborate with system architects and internal teams to define infrastructure needs over horizons.
• Own the full lifecycle of design and construction projects for Blue Origin.
• Write SOWs, manage contractors, and deliver projects on budget and schedule.
• Review design deliverables, RFIs, and submittals; ensure design intent.

Skills

Project management

Site evaluation

NEPA knowledge

Stakeholder communication

Reading technical plans

Budgeting & scheduling

Independent judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline

Tools

CAD software

3D modeling

Job description

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 Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities. Blue Origin is building the next generation of orbital launch infrastructure, and several of our launch pads are in active design, construction, and site identification right now.

This is a project engineering role for someone who wants to live on the owner's side of that work: anticipating where we'll need to launch five years out, shaping the pad into something we can actually build, and owning the delivery once the ground gets broken. You'll bridge long-range strategic planning and tactical execution. On any given quarter you might be running a NEPA conversation with the Space Force, redlining a 60% civil submittal from an A&E, chasing a contractor on an RFI that's holding up concrete, and sketching the ROM for a pad we haven't picked a site for yet. This is not a design-shop seat and it is not a construction-management seat. It's the seat that decides whether the pad gets built to intent, on schedule, in the right place. Those decisions do not get delegated up. They get made by you.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate future launch and test site locations.
• Analyze company growth, vehicle roadmaps, and operational needs, and get infrastructure capacity ahead of demand rather than behind it
• Develop conceptual site layouts, master plans, and ROM cost estimates that account for utilities, civil site development, environmental constraints, and hazardous operations clearances
• Translate vehicle and operations requirements into actionable planning documents.
• Work directly with launch vehicle system architects and internal business units to define infrastructure needs on near, medium, and long horizons
• Own the full lifecycle of design and construction projects as the Blue owner.
• Write statements of work, drive A&E and construction contractors to scope and schedule, manage change orders, and deliver the project on budget
• Review and approve design deliverables, construction RFIs, and submittals.
• Hold the line on design intent and program requirements
• Coordinate environmental regulatory planning and compliance: NEPA assessments, Environmental Baseline Surveys, agency permitting
• Serve as the interface between internal stakeholders (mission ops, fluids, command and control) and external partners (A&E firms, construction contractors, Space Force, FAA, NASA, state agencies)
• Identify project risks and opportunities early, surface them, and drive them to closure.
• Communicate schedule and budget impacts honestly
• Communicate across the full stack. Executive leadership one hour, the field the next, in words that land in both rooms

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline
• 5+ years of relevant engineering or project management experience
• 2+ years of relevant launch infrastructure, test facility, or land development experience
• Experience working with state or federal agencies (Space Force, FAA, NASA, DoD, or state-level counterparts) on permitting, land use, and development
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate sites for infrastructure feasibility: utilities, access, operational safety clearances
• Able to read and work from technical plans, drawings, specifications, and modeling applications
• Experience with project scoping, budgeting, and scheduling at both the day-to-day and overall construction-management level
• Familiarity with standard construction procedures, best practices, means and methods, and work safety standards
• Demonstrated ability to manage technically complex projects from concept through completion using independent judgment
• Strong verbal, written, and graphical communication
• Motivated self-starter with strong organizational skills, capable of managing multiple concurrent projects
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (current Green Card holder)
• Ability to obtain and maintain badging at government installations (Vandenberg SFB)
• Ability to perform hands‑on field work in heat, cold, rain, tight quarters, or at heights

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience working at or with Vandenberg SFB, Western Range operations, or 30th Space Wing / Space Launch Delta 30 coordination
• Extensive experience with infrastructure requirements for space launch or test vehicle systems: ground support equipment, site civil, structural, and support facilities
• Experience identifying, assessing, and developing greenfield launch or test site locations
• Familiarity with hazardous operations siting requirements, explosive safety quantity-distance (ESQD) arcs, and operational safety clearance planning
• Familiarity with FAA commercial launch site regulations (14 CFR Part 420/450)
• Familiarity with NEPA and the federal environmental review process
• CAD and 3D modeling fluency
• Professional Engineer (PE) license

Base Pay Range for: CA 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

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.

Benefits

• 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 affirmative 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.

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

We are a mission-driven company focused on ideas and innovation, and encourage fresh perspectives from bold voices.

At Blue, our team is building the future as their unique selves.

Thank you for your interest in working at Blue Origin!

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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