Senior Propulsion Engineer: Electric Propulsion for Space

Blue Origin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Stock options

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Blue Origin seeks a Senior Propulsion Engineer to own propulsion system design, development, and integration for a spacecraft constellation. You will lead trade studies and manage system requirements, ensuring compatibility with power, thermal, structure, and propellant subsystems.

The role emphasizes hands-on work with electric propulsion, thruster hardware, PPUs, and propellant systems, alongside model development and test planning for mission success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of professional experience in design, analysis, or testing of spacecraft propulsion systems.
• Demonstrated experience with electric propulsion systems, including testing and/or flight experience.
• Strong understanding of subsystem interfaces (power, thermal, propellant) for electric propulsion.
• Strong fundamentals in plasma physics, fluid dynamics, and orbital mechanics.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and development of the propulsion system, including flow control and propellant supply for mission needs.
• Perform trade studies and analysis on various propulsion technologies to guide design decisions.
• Develop and manage system requirements and interface control documents for propulsion with other subsystems.
• Create and maintain detailed performance models to predict on-orbit behavior (thrust, Isp, total impulse).
• Define and oversee test plans to verify performance and lifetime of propulsion hardware.
• Collaborate with GNC, systems, and mission operations to meet functional requirements.
• Support procurement, design, manufacturing, testing, and integration of propulsion hardware (thrusters, PPUs, propellant feeds).
• Analyze test data and anchor system models to ensure predictive accuracy.

Skills

Electric propulsion systems

Propulsion system design

Subsystem interfaces

Plasma physics

Fluid dynamics

Orbital mechanics

Scripting (Python, MATLAB)

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace/ mechanical engineering or physics

Master's or Ph.D. in a relevant field

Job description

Blue Origin seeks a Senior Propulsion Engineer to own propulsion system design, development, and integration for a spacecraft constellation. You will lead trade studies and manage system requirements, ensuring compatibility with power, thermal, structure, and propellant subsystems.

The role emphasizes hands-on work with electric propulsion, thruster hardware, PPUs, and propellant systems, alongside model development and test planning for mission success.