Technician - Custom Machinery Assembly III

blueorigin; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 47,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation provided

Stock Options

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Technician III to assemble and align precision machines used in our in‑house production line. You will work shoulder to shoulder with design engineers, bring new hardware to life, and sustain fielded hardware while contributing to drawings feedback.

The role requires hands‑on experience, strong measurement skills, and the ability to work in a fast‑paced, safety‑conscious production environment on site in Washington.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in precision mechanical assembly or equivalent.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and procedures with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency with precision measurement tools and GD&T callouts.

Responsibilities

• Perform precision mechanical assembly of multi‑axis motion subsystems from drawings and work orders.
• Install, align, and verify high‑resolution encoder feedback systems.
• Execute machine alignment, calibration campaigns, and measure‑correct‑remeasure passes.
• Troubleshoot mechanical and electromechanical faults to root cause; document results.
• Train and mentor junior technicians; contribute to assembly and troubleshooting methods.

Job description

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 Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities.

This role supports the build, commissioning, and sustainment of a family of advanced custom precision machines built entirely in-house at Blue Origin. These are not purchased tools with a service contract behind them — we architect them, build them, instrument them, break them, and make them production-worthy ourselves. Each system is a large-envelope, multi-axis, closed-loop precision platform operating inside a sealed process volume, coordinating motion, thermal, fluid, and optical subsystems to hold micron-class positional accuracy across a meter-scale working envelope — continuously, for weeks at a time, without operator intervention.

As a Technician III you are the person who makes that real. You will assemble and align the mechanisms, bring new machines to life, and keep a fleet of them holding tolerance under production load. When a machine goes down, engine hardware stops moving — and you are the first line of response.

This is a technician seat on a small team that owns its hardware end to end. You will work shoulder to shoulder with the design engineers who drew the parts you are installing, and your feedback changes the drawings. The machines are in production today and the next-generation configuration is in active design, so you will build new hardware and sustain fielded hardware in the same week.

Passion for our mission and vision is required.

Special Mentions

• Relocation provided
• This position may require shift work, extended hours, weekend coverage, or on-call response to support machines running continuous builds
• Interviews will include a hands‑on technical assessment
• On‑site role — this hardware cannot be supported remotely

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Perform precision mechanical assembly of multi‑axis motion subsystems — gantry structures, linear rails and carriages, dual‑motor coupled axes, vertical lift stages, traversing mechanisms, and precision blade and wiper assemblies — working from engineering drawings, assembly instructions, and work orders
• Install, align, and verify high‑resolution linear encoder feedback systems, including read‑head air‑gap setting, scale alignment, and shield termination
• Execute machine alignment and calibration campaigns using precision metrology — dial indicators, height gauges, optical trackers, and coordinate measuring equipment — and iterate measure‑correct‑remeasure passes until the machine converges inside its accuracy budget
• Apply calibrated torque per specification, install and verify fasteners and locking features, and document as‑installed values
• Assemble, leak‑check, and commission fluid and gas subsystems — cooling loops, chillers, gas distribution, purge circuits, filtration, and sealed‑volume containment
• Route, terminate, and dress cabling and service loops, including continuously flexing cable carriers, with attention to signal integrity and strain relief
• Bring new machines up from mechanically complete to production‑ready: power‑on checks, axis commissioning, subsystem functional verification, and first‑article support
• Troubleshoot mechanical, electromechanical, pneumatic, and fluid faults on fielded machines to component level, isolating root cause rather than swapping parts until symptoms clear
• Perform preventive and corrective maintenance on an operating fleet, including scheduled service, wear‑item replacement, and precision component swaps that must preserve alignment
• Execute retrofit and upgrade work on machines already in production, where downtime is measured against hardware deliveries
• Document all work in the work‑order system — as‑found and as‑left condition, parts consumed, measurements taken, and anomalies observed — to the standard that lets an engineer reconstruct what happened months later
• Write and red‑line assembly, commissioning, and maintenance procedures based on what actually works on the floor
• Support root‑cause investigations by capturing data, preserving failed hardware, and contributing direct observation to the analysis
• Follow lockout/tagout, confined‑space, energized‑work, and PPE requirements without exception, and stop work when conditions are unsafe
• Train and mentor junior technicians, and serve as a technical resource for assembly and troubleshooting methods

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in precision mechanical assembly, industrial machinery maintenance, automation equipment, machine building, or equivalent military technical experience
• Demonstrated ability to work from engineering drawings, assembly instructions, schematics, and written procedures with minimal supervision
• Proficiency with precision measurement tools — calipers, micrometers, dial indicators, height gauges, feeler gauges — and the judgment to know when a measurement is trustworthy
• Experience with mechanical alignment of precision equipment (shafts, rails, stages, or comparable)
• Proficiency with hand and power tools, and correct use of calibrated torque equipment
• Experience troubleshooting electromechanical systems, including basic use of a multimeter
• Ability to read and interpret GD&T callouts on drawings
• Demonstrated attention to documentation — recording work accurately and completely in a work order or maintenance system
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion
• 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

• Associate degree, technical/trade school certificate, or completed apprenticeship in a mechanical, electromechanical, mechatronics, or industrial maintenance discipline
• Experience with servo‑driven multi‑axis motion systems, including gantry‑coupled axes
• Experience installing or servicing linear encoder feedback systems and diagnosing intermittent feedback faults
• Experience with sealed or controlled‑atmosphere enclosures, including sealing methods and leak‑rate verification
• Experience with pneumatic, hydraulic, or thermal‑management fluid systems, including tube bending, fitting installation, and leak checking
• Experience commissioning new equipment from mechanically complete through production release
• Familiarity with motion controller and PLC interfaces — enough to run a jog, read a fault code, and hold a productive conversation with a controls engineer
• Experience with precision metrology equipment (CMM, optical trackers, interferometry)
• Certified or certifiable in forklift operation, overhead crane, and rigging
• Lockout/tagout, NFPA 70E, or comparable energized‑work safety training
• Experience using an ERP, MES, or CMMS work‑order system to record maintenance and assembly work
• Experience training or leading other technicians

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift and carry up to 40 lbs unassisted, and to participate in team lifts of heavier components
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, and work in confined or awkward positions for extended periods
• Ability to work on ladders, elevated platforms, and at height on large machine structures
• Ability to work with arms overhead and to reach into enclosed machine volumes
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment, including respiratory protection where required
• Comfortable working in an industrial manufacturing environment with associated noise, temperature variation, and machinery hazards

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $33.85 - $47.39

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

• 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%, and an Education Support Program.
• 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.
• 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.

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 Affi...