Ground Systems Environmental Control Systems Engineer

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! 

Applies engineering techniques to design, install, modify, analyze, and test environmental control systems used to thermally condition, purge, and inert rocket vehicle compartments. Responsibilities span the full development cycle, including development and release of engineering artifacts to support hardware fabrication, assembly, verification, and test. Implements operating procedures, resolves system malfunctions, and provides technical information. Researches and analyzes design proposals, specifications, and performance data to evaluate the feasibility, cost, and maintenance requirements of ECS designs. Specifies system components or directs product modifications to ensure conformance with engineering design and performance specifications. Investigates system failures and anomalies to diagnose faulty operation and make recommendations to operations and maintenance crews.

As an Environmental Control Systems (ECS) Design Engineer, you will be a key contributor to the development of launch infrastructure forNew Glenn, our reusable, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle. You will design, analyze, and test the critical environmental control systems that thermally condition, purge, and inert vehicle compartments, requiring precision temperature management and atmospheric control.

ECS at Blue Origin represents high-precision aerospace HVAC: systems that deliver conditioned air or gaseous nitrogen (GN2) to open rocket volumes with tight control over temperature, humidity, dew point, and flow rate. These systems are essential to protecting sensitive vehicle hardware during ground operations, safeguarding against condensation, corrosion, and hazardous atmospheres, and maintaining thermal environments necessary for proper vehicle function and personnel safety.

This role is for a hands-on engineer with a strong foundation in thermodynamics, psychrometrics, and fluid dynamics. You will apply your technical expertise to solve complex environmental conditioning challenges and deliver robust, reliable hardware designs. Your dedicated commitment and detailed attention to your work will directly contribute to building a road to space.

• Design and develop ECS from initial concept and requirements through detailed design, analysis, and release, including conditioned air supply systems, GN2 inerting and purge systems, ducting networks, and associated controls.
• Perform detailed thermal, psychrometric, and fluid analyses to characterize heat loads, moisture ingress, condensation risk, and purge effectiveness across vehicle compartments and ground enclosures.
• Develop and size ECS components including heat exchangers, chillers, heaters, air handlers, blowers/fans, pressure regulators, flow control valves, and distribution ducting.
• Create and release engineering artifacts including system schematics, P&IDs, 3D models, component specifications, interface control documents, and test procedures.
• Define and analyze GN2 inerting strategies for hazardous enclosures, including purge sequencing, flow rates, and oxygen concentration requirements.
• Collaborate closely with vehicle design, propulsion, avionics, launch operations, and safety teams to define environmental requirements and ensure ECS integration compatibility.
• Support the planning and execution of system-level tests, acquiring and analyzing data to verify thermal and atmospheric performance against requirements.
• Participate in and provide technical input for design reviews and Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs) to ensure system safety, particularly in environments involving cryogenic propellants, flammable gases, or oxygen-deficient atmospheres.

• Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 5+ years of professional experience in HVAC, environmental control, fluid, or thermal system design and analysis.
• Demonstrated understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and psychrometrics as applied to environmental conditioning systems.
• Experience creating and interpreting Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) and ducting/flow schematics.
• Proficiency with industry-standard analysis tools for fluid network or thermal modeling (e.g., AFT Fathom/Arrow, GFSSP, EES, Sinda/Fluint, Thermal Desktop, or similar).
• Experience with 3D CAD software (Creo, SolidWorks, or similar) and engineering configuration management.
• Knowledge of ECS and HVAC components including valves, regulators, heat exchangers, blowers, dampers, and instrumentation.

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with GN2 inerting, purging, or blanketing systems in aerospace, semiconductor, or industrial applications.
• Background in aerospace or launch vehicle ground support equipment (GSE) design and operations.
• Hands-on experience with the assembly, troubleshooting, and testing of HVAC or fluid system hardware.
• Familiarity with cryogenic environments and the thermal conditioning challenges they introduce (e.g., managing moisture and condensation near LOX/LH2 systems).
• Working knowledge of relevant codes and standards such as ASHRAE, ASME B31.3, or NFPA as applied to ECS design.
• Experience with oxygen deficiency hazard (ODH) analysis and GN2 system safety requirements.
• Experience with test instrumentation, data acquisition, and environmental monitoring sensors (temperature, humidity, dew point, oxygen concentration).

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.