Sr. Principal Spacecraft Design Engineer, Project Sunrise Orbital Data Centers

Blue Origin LLC; El Paso (TX); On-site; USD 190,000 - 267,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life insurance

Parental leave

Disability protection

401(k) with company match

Education Support Program

Stock options

Paid time off

Job summary

Blue Origin LLC is seeking a Senior Principal Spacecraft Design Engineer to lead end-to-end spacecraft design, including power, thermal, compute, and communications. You will perform high-complexity CREO modeling and drive design decisions through trade studies and analyses.

You will guide a multidisciplinary team, oversee verification/validation campaigns, and present technical recommendations to leadership, advancing spaceflight hardware and systems with autonomy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in detailed design and analysis of complex mechanical systems.
• Expert proficiency in 3D modeling and detailed design.
• Hands-on experience designing, analyzing, and testing space mechanisms.
• Strong fundamentals in statics, dynamics, materials, and machine design.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects and work independently.

Responsibilities

• Lead and own the entire spacecraft design and development, including power, thermal, compute, and communications systems, and identify novel solutions.
• Directly perform hands-on, high-complexity design and modeling work in CREO to create detailed 3D models, component specifications, and production-level drawings.
• Conduct and document trade studies to drive design decisions, optimize system architecture, and ensure requirement compliance.
• Perform and guide structural, thermal, and tolerance analyses to validate design integrity and performance.
• Comfortable managing engineers while staying deeply hands-on.
• Develop and oversee the execution of verification and validation test campaigns for hardware, from component to system level.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver robust hardware solutions.
• Present design concepts, analysis results, and technical recommendations to program leadership and stakeholders.

Skills

Spacecraft design

Leadership

3D modeling (CREO)

Systems engineering

GD&T

FEM/FEA

Model Based Definition (MBD)

Python scripting

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Master's or PhD (preferred)

Tools

CREO

ANSYS/NASTRAN

MB Definition tools

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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design. Join Blue Origin as we build infrastructure in space for the benefit of Earth. We're developing a satellite constellation of orbital data centers designed to transform how compute infrastructure is deployed and leveraged. As a Senior Principal Spacecraft Design Engineer, you will serve as the primary technical authority and owner for the end-to-end design of the spacecraft. You are a novel thinker, someone who does not rely solely on past experience, but finds new and innovative approaches to challenging engineering problems. You will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, leading a multidisciplinary effort and making critical design decisions. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role that demands expert-level systems thinking, a deep understanding of engineering principles across multiple domains, and the ability to solve our most challenging technical problems while guiding a team of engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and own the entire spacecraft design and development, including power, thermal, compute, and communications systems, and identify novel solutions.
• Directly perform hands-on, high-complexity design and modeling work in CREO to create detailed 3D models, component specifications, and production-level drawings.
• Conduct and document trade studies to drive design decisions, optimize system architecture, and ensure requirement compliance.
• Perform and guide structural, thermal, and tolerance analyses to validate design integrity and performance.
• Comfortable managing engineers while staying deeply hands-on.
• Develop and oversee the execution of verification and validation test campaigns for hardware, from component to system level.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including analysis, manufacturing, and electrical engineering, to deliver highly integrated and robust hardware solutions.
• Present design concepts, analysis results, and technical recommendations to program leadership and key stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in the detailed design and analysis of complex mechanical systems.
• Expert proficiency in 3D modeling and detailed design.
• Extensive, hands-on experience designing, analyzing, and testing space mechanisms.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanical engineering principles, including statics, dynamics, materials, and machine design.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects and work independently with minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Proven track record of leading the design of multiple flight hardware components or systems through the full product lifecycle.
• Hands-on building, assembly, and manufacturing experience.
• Experience with Model Based Definition (MBD) and its application in a production environment.
• Familiarity or fluency with AI tools and their application for design optimization or analysis.
• Bonus if you have an understanding of data center designs.
• Expertise in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and its application to complex assemblies.
• Experience with CREO.
• Experience with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tools (e.g., ANSYS, NASTRAN) for structural analysis.

Base Pay Range

Base Pay Range for: CO applicants is $190,458.00 - $266,641.20 WA applicants is $194,121.00 - $271,768.35 Other site ranges may differ

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%
• an Education Support Program

Stock Options

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.

Bonus and Eligibility

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.

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 Requirements

Blues 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.

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.

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.

Company Culture

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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