Fluid Systems Engineer III - Valve Sustainment in Washington, District of Columbia at Blue Origin

Title: Fluid Systems Engineer III - Valve Sustainment

Location: Greater Seattle Area

Position Type: Full time

Requisition ID: R65356

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 supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

As the primary technical point of contact between our design engineers and the manufacturing value stream, your mission will be to ensure the successful production of our flight-proven valve components. You will become the go-to expert on their design history, critical functions, and performance parameters. By embedding with our procurement, testing, and operations teams, you will identify and solve design and build challenges, leading design-for-manufacturability reviews and driving process improvements. You will use your creative thinking and hands-on approach to resolve complex issues with high-pressure, cryogenic, and highly-stressed hardware, directly ensuring that the manufactured product meets its original design intent.

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!

Job Responsibilities:

• Production & Manufacturing Support:
  • Act as the first point of contact for production, providing hands-on floor support to troubleshoot and resolve manufacturing challenges.
  • Disposition non-conforming hardware, interpreting engineering models, drawings, and specifications to make clear and effective assessments.
  • Serve as a key resource for producibility, collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize processes and designs, and navigating competing interests to find the best path forward.
• Design Improvement & Sustaining Engineering:
  • Investigate and identify opportunities to improve our legacy designs for manufacturability, cost, and reliability.
  • Develop and implement design improvements and update assembly and test procedures based on root cause analysis and production feedback.
  • Drive design for manufacturability (DFM) reviews for both internally-built and supplier hardware.
• Analysis & Documentation:
  • Utilize 3D CAD and FEA tools to analyze existing designs and proposed modifications.
  • Deliver completed design updates using best drafting practices per ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
  • Create clear and well-documented analysis reports to substantiate design changes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, Aerospace engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing or design engineering environment, supporting the production of complex mechanical or fluid systems.
• Solid understanding of fluid components such as valves, regulators, and fittings, as well as core concepts in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.
• Practical knowledge of common manufacturing processes, fabrication methods, and quality control for machined components.
• Experience interpreting GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and reviewing engineering drawings.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to build trust and work effectively across different teams.
• 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:

• Experience transitioning products from design/development into a high-rate production environment.
• Expertise with cryogenic fluid systems (e.g., hydrogen, oxygen, methane) and materials.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software (Creo preferred, but experience with any major platform like SolidWorks, NX, etc., is valuable) and FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS).
• Experience with component/system level testing, troubleshooting, and data acquisition.
• Project management skills, including experience with supplier management.

Compensation Range for:

WA 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 (CDL drivers only), 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 Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.