Senior Propulsion Engineer - Engines

Blue Origin; Washington; On-site; USD 145,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Parental leave

Disability insurance

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking an experienced Senior Systems Engineer to own the engine‑level architecture for a LOX/LNG booster engine. You will decompose requirements, define interfaces, and drive system readiness across subsystems and the vehicle, collaborating with engineers, test operations, and leadership.

You will engage with test data, manage trade studies, and communicate risks and status while ensuring traceability, configuration control, and thorough safety analysis across the program.

Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in propulsion or aerospace system development, with meaningful time spent on liquid rocket engine programs.
• Hands‑on experience with requirements development, interface definition, and system‑level verification on flight or flight‑like hardware.
• Sufficient propulsion fundamentals to engage credibly with subsystem engineers across combustion devices, turbomachinery, and feed systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the engine‑level systems architecture, ensuring design decisions made at the subsystem level are coherent, traceable, and optimized for the system as a whole
• Develop, decompose, and allocate requirements across subsystems, maintaining clear traceability and a credible path to verification for every requirement
• Define and control all key interfaces between engine subsystems and between the engine and vehicle, resolving conflicts before they become integration problems
• Lead engine‑level trade studies with analytical rigor, driving clear recommendations that advance the program rather than cataloguing options
• Actively engage with test data, anomaly investigations, and design iterations to identify optimization opportunities and push system performance
• Identify technical risks early, develop mitigation strategies, and communicate program status with clarity and honesty to leadership and stakeholders
• Serve as the technical hub across a wide range of stakeholders — subsystem engineers, vehicle teams, test operations, and program leadership
• Coordinate System Safety analysis across the engine, ensuring complete hazard coverage and no gaps across subsystems
• Lead and prepare for major program reviews, setting a high bar for technical readiness and ensuring the team is prepared to defend their designs
• Maintain configuration discipline across drawings, interface control documents, and design documentation so the team always has an accurate picture of the current system

Skills

Requirements development

Interface definition

System-level verification

Propulsion fundamentals

Liquid rocket engines

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Systems Engineering or related field

Tools

DOORS

DNG

Jama

Jira

Confluence

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 the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight. As part of a small group of engineers, you will serve as the technical integrator for a LOX/LNG booster engine. You will sit at the intersection of every technical discipline on the program, owning the systems architecture, driving requirements from top‑level customer needs down through subsystems, and ensuring that every design decision rolls up into a system that meets its performance, reliability, and operability goals. This is a role with real ownership and real influence, on a team that moves fast, dives deep, and does not settle for good enough.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Own the engine‑level systems architecture, ensuring design decisions made at the subsystem level are coherent, traceable, and optimized for the system as a whole
• Develop, decompose, and allocate requirements across subsystems, maintaining clear traceability and a credible path to verification for every requirement
• Define and control all key interfaces between engine subsystems and between the engine and vehicle, resolving conflicts before they become integration problems
• Lead engine‑level trade studies with analytical rigor, driving clear recommendations that advance the program rather than cataloguing options
• Actively engage with test data, anomaly investigations, and design iterations to identify optimization opportunities and push system performance
• Identify technical risks early, develop mitigation strategies, and communicate program status with clarity and honesty to leadership and stakeholders
• Serve as the technical hub across a wide range of stakeholders — subsystem engineers, vehicle teams, test operations, and program leadership
• Coordinate System Safety analysis across the engine, ensuring complete hazard coverage and no gaps across subsystems
• Lead and prepare for major program reviews, setting a high bar for technical readiness and ensuring the team is prepared to defend their designs
• Maintain configuration discipline across drawings, interface control documents, and design documentation so the team always has an accurate picture of the current system

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field
• 8+ years of experience in propulsion or aerospace system development, with meaningful time spent on liquid rocket engine programs
• Hands‑on experience with requirements development, interface definition, and system‑level verification on flight or flight‑like hardware
• Sufficient propulsion fundamentals to engage credibly with subsystem engineers across combustion devices, turbomachinery, and feed systems

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience as a lead or sole systems engineer on a liquid rocket engine program with direct accountability for technical integrity
• Experience with high‑performance engine cycles
• Experience with requirements management tools such as DOORS, DNG, Jama, or equivalent, and Atlassian tools including Jira and Confluence
• System Safety analysis experience including FMECA, FTA, and FHA in a flight‑critical environment
• Experience with reliability, maintainability, and supportability (RMS) analysis and execution

Base Pay Range for: WA applicants is $145,188.00 - $203,263.20. 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 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%