Senior Propulsion Engineer - Valve Lead Spaceflight

Blue Origin LLC; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Education support

Job summary

Blue Origin LLC is seeking a Senior Propulsion Engineer to lead a valve hardware product line within the Blue Thrusters team. You will guide design, analysis, and testing from requirements through production, ensuring high reliability for spaceflight hardware.

The role emphasizes collaboration across mechanical, propulsion, electrical, and software engineers, with mentorship of junior staff and active participation in design reviews. WA state-based, on-site position with competitive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of industry experience designing and developing fluid control hardware, with demonstrated expertise in valve design for aerospace or high‑reliability applications.
• Hands‑on experience with both electromechanical (solenoid) and pneumatically actuated valve designs.
• Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, mechanical design, electromagnetic design, and structural mechanics.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software (Creo preferred) and GD&T per ASME Y14.5 standards.
• Experience with hardware fabrication, integration processes, and quality control.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with ability to lead technical discussions and mentor peers.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident or eligible.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead and subject matter expert for the Blue Thrusters Valve product line, encompassing direct acting solenoid and pneumatically piloted valve designs.
• Mentor valve responsible engineers, developing their expertise in design, manufacturing, and test.
• Develop, establish, and maintain team‑wide design, build, and test tools, processes, and standards to ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency across the product line.
• Perform and review fluid, structural, and electromagnetic analysis for definition and validation of requirements across pressure, temperature, electrical, and dynamic environments.
• Document these processes and results to build a technical basis for use among engineers.
• Define and implement margin strategies to ensure products meet requirements without excessive cost and mass impacts.
• Collaborate with systems, propulsion, electrical, and software engineers to define interfaces, refine requirements, and integrate valve hardware into broader thruster systems.
• Lead design reviews, provide technical mentorship to junior engineers, and contribute to a culture of engineering excellence and continuous improvement.
• Engage with suppliers to drive component development, ensure quality, and resolve technical issues throughout the supply chain.
• Support fabrication, assembly, and testing of development and flight hardware; review and disposition non‑conforming hardware with sound engineering judgment.
• Author and review technical reports, qualification packages, test plans, and engineering specifications.

Skills

Valve design

Electromechanical valves

Pneumatic valves

3D CAD Creo

GD&T ASME Y14.5

Fluid mechanics

Thermodynamics

Electromagnetic design

Structural mechanics

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

ANSYS

COMSOL

AFT Fathom/Arrow

Job description

Blue Origin LLC is seeking a Senior Propulsion Engineer to lead a valve hardware product line within the Blue Thrusters team. You will guide design, analysis, and testing from requirements through production, ensuring high reliability for spaceflight hardware.

The role emphasizes collaboration across mechanical, propulsion, electrical, and software engineers, with mentorship of junior staff and active participation in design reviews. WA state-based, on-site position with competitive benefits.