Sr. Propulsion Engineer, Blue Thrusters Valves

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

Job summary

Blue Origin in Washington state is seeking a Senior Propulsion Engineer to lead the Blue Thrusters Valve product line, guiding design, qualification, and production of direct acting solenoid and pneumatically piloted valves with a focus on safety and reliability.

You will mentor engineers, develop tools and processes, perform analyses, collaborate with systems teammates, and drive continuous improvement to ensure flight hardware meets the highest standards for spaceflight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 8+ years designing fluid control hardware and high‑reliability valves.
• Hands-on electromechanical and pneumatic valve design experience.
• Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, EM design, and structural mechanics.
• Creo CAD and GD&T per ASME Y14.5 with drawing experience.
• Experience with fabrication, integration, and quality control.
• Excellent communication and leadership to mentor peers.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead for Blue Thrusters Valve product line.
• Mentor valve responsible engineers in design, manufacturing, and test.
• Develop and maintain design, build, and test tools and standards.
• Perform fluid, structural, and electromagnetic analyses.
• Document processes and results for engineering records.
• Define margin strategies to balance cost and performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate valve hardware.
• Lead design reviews and engage suppliers to drive quality.

Skills

Valve design

Fluid control hardware

Electromechanical valves

Pneumatic valves

Leadership/mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Creo CAD

GD&T ASME Y14.5

ANSYS/CFD 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 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.

About the Role

As a Senior Propulsion Engineer on the Blue Thrusters team, you will serve in a technical leadership capacity over a product line of flight-critical valve hardware, including direct acting solenoid and pneumatically piloted valves. You will be the go-to technical authority for your product line—driving the tools, processes, and standards that govern how we design, build, and test these systems. You will guide engineers from initial requirements definition through qualification and into production, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure every valve we deliver meets the highest standards of performance and reliability. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Key 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

Minimum 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 technical fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, mechanical design, electromagnetic design, and structural mechanics
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software (Creo preferred) and experience creating engineering drawings with GD&T per ASME Y14.5 standards
• Demonstrated experience with hardware fabrication, integration processes, and quality control
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions across a wide variety of stakeholders, build cross-functional alignment, and mentor peers
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• Experience establishing or improving team‑level design standards, processes, or toolsets in a valve or fluid systems engineering environment
• Familiarity with analytical tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, AFT Fathom/Arrow, or similar FEA/CFD/fluid modeling packages
• Experience with propellant control valves for liquid rocket engines or thruster systems, including exposure to propellants such as Oxygen, Hydrogen, Methane, MMH, and NTO
• Experience with full valve development lifecycle: design, development, qualification, acceptance, and production
• Experience collaborating with electrical and software engineers on closed‑loop control systems or valve drive electronics
• Familiarity with leak testing, proof/burst testing, vibration, shock, thermal, and functional test methodologies for fluid control hardware
• Experience with Windchill or similar PDM/PLM systems

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