Senior Tribology Engineer for Space Systems

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Stock options

Education Support Program

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

Blue Origin LLC in the Kent, Washington area seeks a senior tribology engineer to design and test wear and friction in spaceflight hardware. You will partner with design engineers to optimize seals, bearings, and sliding interfaces across the program lifecycle.

Required are 5+ years in tribology, hands-on test planning, and surface characterization methods. The role supports Blue Origin’s mission in a safety‑focused, collaborative environment with opportunities to influence materials and testing

Qualifications

• B.S. degree or higher in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Materials science with 5+ years of tribology experience.
• Hands-on test planning and collaboration with hardware design to characterize friction and wear.
• Understanding of material interfaces in high vibration and space environments.

Responsibilities

• Partner with design engineers to optimize seals, bearings, and sliding interfaces.
• Assess wear interfaces and specify surface finishes and coatings.
• Identify lubrication risks and mitigation strategies.
• Plan material screening and wear-life test campaigns.
• Influence material system selection and producibility across the program.

Skills

Tribology experience

Test planning

Material science

Mechanical design

In-space environment

Education

B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace/Material Science

Tools

Optical microscopy

SEM

EDS

X-ray fluorescence

Fractography

Job description

Blue Origin LLC in the Kent, Washington area seeks a senior tribology engineer to design and test wear and friction in spaceflight hardware. You will partner with design engineers to optimize seals, bearings, and sliding interfaces across the program lifecycle.

Required are 5+ years in tribology, hands-on test planning, and surface characterization methods. The role supports Blue Origin’s mission in a safety‑focused, collaborative environment with opportunities to influence materials and testing