Mechanical Engineer III - Custom Precise Machinery

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!  

This role supports the design, development, and sustainment of a family of advanced custom precision machines built entirely in-house at Blue Origin. These are not purchased tools with a service contract behind them — we architect them, build them, instrument them, break them, and make them production-worthy ourselves. Each system is a large-envelope, multi-axis, closed-loop precision platform, coordinating motion, thermal, fluid, and optical subsystems to hold micron-class positional accuracy— continuously, for weeks at a time, without operator intervention.

The hardware these machines produce goes directly into flight. When a machine holds its tolerances, we fly a rocket. That is the whole equation, and it is unusually short.

You will join a small, senior, hands-on team that owns its hardware end to end. The machines are in production today and the next-generation configuration is in active design, which means you will work both problems at once: keeping a live fleet at rate while architecting the platform of the future. There is no wall between design and the floor here — you will draw a mechanism, watch it get built, and stand next to it when it runs.

Passion for our mission and vision is required.

Special Mentions

• Relocation provided
• Interviews will include a technical assessment
• On-site role — this hardware cannot be supported remotely - M-F AM

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Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Own the mechanical design of multi-axis precision motion subsystems —dual-motor electronically-coupled axes, high-resolution linear-encoder feedback chains, precision vertical and horizontal lift stages, and traversing carriage mechanisms operating under continuous duty cycles.
• Design and analyze mechanism assemblies including linkages, actuators, latches, sealing interfaces, docking and mating mechanisms, blade and wiper assemblies, hard-stop and over-travel protection, and cable-carrier routing for continuously flexing service loops
• Diagnose and resolve position-dependent geometric error in large coupled-axis systems — squareness, yaw, droop, and thermal-growth effects — and develop the calibration and error-mapping methods that correct them
• Participate in the entire design cycle of precision machine mechanisms: conceptual and detailed design, trade studies, structural analysis, development testing, qualification, and production release
• Generate 3-D models, kinematic simulations, component drawings, assembly drawings, and interface control documents with application of GD&T per ASME Y14.5
• Perform tolerance stack-up analysis on precision assemblies where accumulated error directly consumes machine accuracy budget
• Design and integrate mechanical interfaces to thermal and fluid subsystems — cooling loops, chillers, inert gas distribution, purge circuits, filtration, and sealed-volume containment
• Own the mechanical side of cross-discipline integration with controls, electrical, and process engineering; these machines are split across independent controllers, and mechanism behavior cannot be understood from either domain alone
• Create documentation for assembly, commissioning, and test of development and production hardware
• Participate in subsystem- and machine-level testing including planning, execution, data reduction, and analysis
• Perform and document root-cause analysis on field failures across an operating fleet, and drive the corrective design change through release
• Develop component specifications, evaluate COTS versus custom solutions, and manage suppliers through fabrication and acceptance
• Rapidly design and produce proof-of-concept hardware to retire risk on next-generation configurations
• Support the retrofit and upgrade of fielded machines — designing change into hardware that is already in production, where downtime is measured against engine deliveries

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Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent
• 5+ years of experience designing precision mechanical systems, industrial machinery, automation equipment, or aerospace mechanical system elements
• Demonstrated experience designing multi-axis motion systems — gantries, stages, slides, or comparable servo-driven precision positioning hardware
• Experience designing mechanisms such as linkages, actuators, latches, hinges, disconnect devices, or similar kinematic assemblies
• Strong mechanical design, integration, and mechanism analysis skills using 3D modeling and simulation tools (CREO preferred)
• Proficiency in Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (ASME Y14.5) and performing tolerance stacks
• Working knowledge of mechanism loads analysis, free-body diagrams, and basic structural hand calculations
• Working knowledge of fabrication and manufacturing processes, and of designing hardware that is buildable on a shop floor
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot hardware in operation, not only on the screen
• 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 with large precision machine design.
• Experience with dual-motor or gantry-coupled axes, including master/slave configurations, separation monitoring, and de-skew calibration
• Experience with high-resolution linear encoder feedback — installation, alignment, contamination control, and diagnosis of intermittent feedback faults
• Experience in structural FEA using ANSYS, NASTRAN, or similar tools for stress and modal analysis
• Experience with high-cycle mechanical systems, fatigue considerations, and life prediction methods
• Experience with sealed or controlled-atmosphere enclosures, sealing strategy, and leak-rate control
• Experience with fluid systems including pneumatic, hydraulic, thermal-management, or gas-handling applications
• Experience with servo-driven automation and working fluency in the controls interface — enough to hold a real conversation with a motion controls engineer
• Experience testing mechanisms including functional testing, life testing, and environmental qualification testing
• Experience with spring design, preload calculations, bearing selection, and fastener analysis
• Experience with machine commissioning, alignment campaigns, and precision metrology (CMM, optical trackers, interferometry, dial-indicator methods)
• Experience taking a first-of-its-kind machine from prototype to repeatable production

Base Pay Range for:

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 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.