Test Engineer III - Spacecraft Integration

Blue Origin; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 121,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a skilled Test Engineer to own test planning and execution for satellite hardware. You will lead environmental test campaigns, develop verification criteria, and work with cross-functional teams to ensure producible, flight-ready designs.

The role requires hands-on lab work, strong analysis, and the ability to communicate findings to program leadership in a fast-paced development environment.

Qualifications

• Experience developing and executing test plans for high-reliability hardware.
• Hands-on experience with TVAC and environmental test equipment.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and wiring diagrams.

Responsibilities

• Define and own test plans, procedures, and verification criteria for satellite hardware.
• Lead TVAC, vibration, and environmental test campaigns with oversight.
• Translate requirements into verifiable test cases and ensure traceability.
• Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions for test anomalies.

Skills

Test planning

Environmental testing

Root cause analysis

Lab operations

Test data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering

Tools

Jira

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Python

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 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.

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!

We invite you to be a part of our Space Resources Program. This initiative is at the forefront of developing In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies, destined for the Moon and beyond to prospect, extract, and manufacture infrastructure from in-situ space resources. If you're passionate about our mission and are looking to make a meaningful contribution, you might just be the ideal candidate to join our innovative and forward-thinking team.

In this hands-on role, you will be based entirely on-site, working directly in the lab alongside our interdisciplinary design and integration teams. We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Test Engineer to own test planning, execution, and verification for satellite and subsystem integration campaigns with a hands-on attitude. You will define test requirements and procedures, lead qualification and acceptance testing, drive root-cause investigations on test anomalies and failures, and partner closely with AIT technicians, design engineers, and program leadership to rapidly converge on flight-ready hardware. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment and is comfortable making credible technical calls with incomplete data while balancing technical risk, schedule pressure, and evolving program needs.

Responsibilities

• Define, develop, and own test plans, procedures, and verification criteria for development, integration, qualification, protoflight, and acceptance testing of satellite and space flight hardware.
• Lead thermal vacuum (TVAC), vibration, and other environmental test campaigns, including hands‑on test setup review, execution oversight, real-time monitoring, and data analysis.
• Translate system and subsystem requirements into verifiable test requirements and ensure full test coverage and traceability.
• Direct and support AIT technicians during test setup, execution, and troubleshooting, providing hands‑on technical guidance and quality oversight on the lab floor.
• Perform hands‑on troubleshooting, failure investigation, and root cause analysis of complex mechanical, electrical, and integrated spacecraft systems.
• Drive corrective and preventive actions to closure, with hands‑on involvement in test re‑runs and verification.
• Review and approve work instructions, test procedures, and non‑conformance dispositions in alignment with aerospace test and integration best practices.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts, data acquisition procedures, and analysis tools (using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar) to streamline test execution, data reduction, and anomaly detection.
• Analyze test data and generate test reports, summarizing results, anomalies, and recommendations for program stakeholders.
• Collaborate with design, thermal, and subsystem leads to resolve integration issues and ensure producible, testable designs.
• Support development and production activities on space systems and satellites with a pragmatic, right‑sized documentation approach appropriate for a rapid‑development program.
• Partner with the area supervisor and program leads to align on weekly testing priorities, schedule risks, and resource needs.
• Generate and review job hazard assessments; establish safety controls and ensure adherence to safety and quality standards throughout test operations.
• Identify and remove technical or process blockers impacting daily and weekly testing goals, escalating as needed to keep the program on schedule.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of test infrastructure, tooling, and processes to reduce cycle time and increase test throughput.
• Maintain full familiarity with flight hardware deployment procedures and support hands‑on integration of flight hardware, including fluid and propulsion systems, star trackers, radios, instrumentation, flight computers, harnesses, and solar array panels.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6+ years of relevant experience in test engineering, integration and test (I&T), or systems verification, preferably in aerospace, aviation, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing test plans and procedures for flight or high-reliability hardware.
• Hands‑on experience with thermal vacuum chambers and environmental test equipment.
• Strong understanding of electrical and mechanical assembly, bench testing, and measurement instrumentation.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, schematics, and wiring diagrams.
• Experience with root-cause analysis and failure investigation methodologies.
• Ability to lead test execution and technician teams with minimal oversight, exercising sound engineering judgment under schedule pressure.
• Comfortable operating with reduced process rigor and documentation typical of rapid‑development missions, while maintaining core safety and quality standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience generating test reports and presenting results to technical stakeholders.
• Experience scheduling work and coordinating competing priorities using Jira or similar tools.
• Willingness to work overtime and weekends as needed; comfort spending significant time on the lab floor hands‑on with hardware and test systems.
• Able to lift 30 lbs, stand for long periods, bend, grasp, sit, pull, push, stoop, and stretch as required for the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant engineering field.
• Prior experience supporting small‑sat, or rapid‑prototype satellite programs where speed and resourcefulness outweigh heavy process overhead.
• Experience with requirements management and verification tools (e.g. Jama).
• Familiarity with MRP systems and inventory planning.
• Experience writing automation scripts or test software using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar languages/tools to automate test execution, data logging, or anomaly detection.
• Familiarity with data acquisition (DAQ) systems, instrumentation automation, and test control software.
• Experience with high thermal condition testing and complex electro‑mechanical systems.
• Experience mentoring or training AIT technicians.

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.

Base Pay Range for:
CA applicants is $121,023.00 - $169,432.20
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 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 Affiantive 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.