Electric Propulsion Test Engineer III - Vacuum Test Stations

Application close date:

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! 

As a member of the TeraWave propulsion team, you will play a foundational role in the development of the Hall thruster-based propulsion systems that maneuver the TeraWave constellation satellites as well as the propulsion team itself. TeraWave is a satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This network will service tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations.

As a Test Engineer III, you will support the development of the propulsion team’s facilities for development and production acceptance test. You will own the design and construction of the team’s development test stations and work with propulsion team members to execute testing that informs the development of the propulsion system. Successful candidates will utilize their experience in aerospace testing to design, assemble, and validate test stations and test plans for product development and high-rate production. A preferred candidate will have experience in electric propulsion system and subsystem testing at production rates including experience specifically in electric propulsion hot fire testing in suitable vacuum test facilities.

If you share our passion for propulsion system development and testing, thrive in a dynamic startup environment, excel on integrated cross-functional teams of versatile individuals, are experienced and skilled in several relevant technologies listed below, continuously seek out opportunities to learn and improve, and do not allow title or job description to limit the depth or breadth of your contributions, then we would love to hear from you.

• Relocation provided
• Travel expected up to 25% of the time

• Design, procure, assemble, and operate propulsion development test facilities for system and subsystem-level tests.
• Documentation and leading discussion of test results, conclusions, and recommended path forward for test and test article development.
• Coordinate with equipment suppliers and Blue Origin facilities on delivery of large and long lead test equipment requiring detailed facility layouts and specialized facility infrastructure.
• Work closely with mechanical design and manufacturing team members to provide Design for Test insight in test article design reviews.
• Author test plans, test procedures, and test SW for high quality and, where appropriate, automated testing.
• Develop practices for test data aggregation, statistical process control, and data visualization with scalability to high-rate production.
• Conduct test station design reviews and test readiness reviews for your tests.
• Define test requirements and objectives, ensuring effective characterization of system development and coverage of product requirements.
• Identify, communicate, and mitigate cost, schedule, and technical risks.
• Plan scaling activities for development and production test capacity to support concurrent high-rate production and sustained, continuous product improvement.

• Bachelor’s of Science in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Physics, Systems Engineering, or related technical subject area.
• 5+ years of career experience in propulsion system development, production, and test.
• Experience working with flight hardware in a production facility, or laboratory.
• Working knowledge of electric propulsion (e.g., ion, Hall-effect) principles and test practices.
• Demonstrated experience in the creation and commissioning of development or production test stations for electric propulsion vacuum hot fire tests.
• Experience working safely with compressed gasses, high pressure test systems, vacuum chambers, and high voltage assemblies.
• Ability to communicate clearly and appropriately at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.
• Strong safety demeanor and experience, including hands-on experience planning and conducting hazardous or critical operations.
• Excellent verbal, written, and graphical communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.
• Enthusiasm for mentoring, training, knowledge sharing, and supporting the technical development of team members.

• Master’s of Science in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Physics, Systems Engineering, or related technical subject area.
• Experience developing test infrastructure drawings/documentation, configuring test articles, and conducting testing of propulsion systems or sub systems.
• Functional knowledge of common electric propulsion test equipment (power supplies, data acquisition systems, pump systems, leak detection equipment, motion stages, DMMs, etc.) and test SW used to control, automate, and monitor their use (Python, LabView, Grafana, TestStand, etc.)
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, engineering industry standards, and technical requirements.
• Experience conducting thermal, vibration, shock, and/or vacuum testing on flight hardware in accordance with MIL-STD-810, SMC-S-016, and MIL-STD-1540.
• Ability to perform data analysis and reduction and present technical information in a clear and compelling visual format.
• Proven experience and successful track record developing/starting new test processes.
• Electric propulsion production system and/or subsystem testing experience.
• Experience developing a propulsion system from concept to production.
• Experience scaling and optimizing tests and test practices for higher production rates.
• Conducting tests and resolving non-conformances is a high-rate production environment.
• Experience performing limited design (CAD) work to draft test fixturing/tool needs.
• Excellent computer skills with the ability to quickly learn and use various software tools as needed.
• Experience with AS9100 Quality Management System.
• Experience with analytical and scripting tools: MATLAB, LabVIEW, Python, or C++.
• Experience development, deployment, maintenance, and version control test scripts/SW.
• Experience with requirements development/management tools and lifecycle management (PLM) tools.

• Support production floor activities.
• Climb stairs and work in small areas.
• Lift and carry 40 lbs.

Compensation Range for:

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.