BE7 Valves - Propulsion Engineer II

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 part of a passionate and hardworking team of engineers and specialists, you will take ownership of a valve on the BE-7 Engine Program. This responsibility will cover the full development lifecycle of the valve, including early conceptual trades, detailed design, manufacturing, test, final qualification, and production support.

Discrete activities include design of valve parts, assemblies, selection of materials and processes, while taking into consideration manufacturability, mass, and recurring cost impacts. You will use CAD modeling to define part feature definition and layout of component assemblies, including preparation of drawing drafts for parts, subassemblies, and the top-level component assembly.

The role will also include various analysis deliverables, including performance predictions, tolerance stack-ups, test data analysis, and final review of structural, thermal, and fluids analyses delivered by FEA / CFD specialists on the team.

You will work closely with manufacturing engineers to peer review manufacturing plans, build procedures, tool designs, and other discrete deliverables defining the full process to produce the valve component.

The role will also include the responsibility to plan, set up, and execute component-level testing, including data analysis, and reporting of results to achieve goals for technical risk mitigation and requirements verification.

You will work with Blue's supply chain organization and directly with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery of procured parts, including definition of requirements for development of more complex parts and assemblies. To support the production sustaining environment, you will coordinate with team members to address quality issues by supporting troubleshooting and disposition of non-conformities.

As a key member of the engine program, you will collaborate closely with program leaders and engineers from other component teams like Systems Engineering, Avionics, Integration, and Engine Test to understand and action decisions with cross-program impacts.

To support program-level goals and initiatives, you will coordinate closely with value stream leaders, production control, technicians, and other Operations stakeholders at the Valves Factory to support hardware manufacturing and delivery of valves to meet demand.

To enable the Valves Team to be agile and make fast, effective decisions, you will be responsible for tactical planning to meet team and program-level objectives, trading scope, schedule, cost, and risk by conducting impact assessments. To support strong communication and work planning, you will manage scope of development activities, using a schedule to forecast and track progress towards key milestones.

We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to help Blue Origin reduce the cost of access to safe and make a significant impact to enabling safe human spaceflight.

Travel is expected up to 10% of the time.

Minimum Qualifications

Education / Work Experience

• B.S. degree in engineering discipline (aerospace, mechanical, or physics desired)
• 2+ years of professional engineering experience with valves, pumps, mechanisms, electromechanical actuation, or fluid control systems
• 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.

Work Characteristics

• Possess attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Strong communication skills and ability to coordinate with stakeholders across a large program to facilitate tactical planning and deliver successful outcomes
• Ability to own and execute development activities without granular direction on approach to problem solving or low impact decision making
• Ability to deliver on commitments and communicate proactively when commitments are at risk

Technical Design and Analysis

• Experience with design, manufacturing, and test of valves operating with either incompressible or compressible flow
• Knowledge of valve design processes, methodologies, and techniques to analytically predict performance and verify compliance with key requirements
• Familiarity with common valve architectures to deliver specific fluid control functions, key performance parameters, and trade-offs in performance as constrained by design elements
• Familiarity with common seal designs / polymers and their application in a valve component based on desired leak performance and operating conditions (static vs dynamic, pressures, temperatures, fluid compatibility, wear)
• Familiarity with selection of part materials and processes, taking into consideration valve load paths, joint design, tribological wear, structural limits, thermal conditions, material fluid compatibility, corrosion, and electrical bonding
• Fundamental knowledge in mechanical design, fluid mechanics, structural mechanics, and thermodynamics
• Experience in 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) Modeling
• Experience in part and assembly drawing drafting

Manufacturing and Quality

• Experience in evaluation of non-conforming hardware and preparation of disposition rationale based on part inspection and impact on product form, fit, and functionality
• Knowledge of subtractive cutting or forming manufacturing processes to produce complex custom metal parts and features (turning, milling, grinding, bending, tapping, etc.)

Test

• Experience with test planning, execution, data analysis, and reporting of results

Preferred Qualifications

Education / Work Experience

• Advanced degree in engineering discipline
• Experience with rocket engines or jet engines

Work Characteristics

• Experience with project management principles for managing scope, schedule, cost
• Experience working within a scrum-based agile project management framework
• Experience working with component suppliers to drive hardware deliverables

Technical Design and Analysis

• Experience designing products with exposure to cryogenic fluids and high-pressure gases
• Experience with data processing and analysis
• Experience with Creo 10 or greater, and Windchill 12 or greater
• Knowledge of methodology and application of FEA analysis tools (ANSYS preferred)
• Experience with Model-Based Definition (MBD), using annotated 3D models in place of traditional 2D drawings
• Familiarity with ASME Y14.5 Std for Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)

Manufacturing and Quality

• Experience in Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Assembly (DFA)
• Knowledge of quality processes and requirements used after manufacturing hardware at both the part-level and assembly-level

Test

• Experience with component-level testing for verification of compliance to valve requirements including flow rate, leakage, dynamic environments (shock / vibe), thermal environments, and operational life
• Experience with the design of test setups to conduct pressurized fluid flow testing, including the ability to select control valves, duct lengths / sizes, fittings, and instrumentation to achieve test objectives
• Exposure to fluid flow and leak testing of component hardware using cryogenic fluids and high-pressure gases
• Base Pay Range for: WA applicants is $99,201.00 - $138,880.35
• Other site ranges may differ
• Culture Statement

Additional information

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.