Systems Engineer - VAST Components

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.

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.

VAST (Valves, Actuators, Standardization, and Technology) delivers the components that make New Glenn work: valves, regulators, quick disconnects, actuators, composite overwrap pressure vessels (COPV’s) and the mechanisms around them. Our products fly on GS1, GS2, and GS3, and serve customers across Lunar Permanence and Engines. As the Systems Engineer on the VAST Technology team, you will be the connective tissue between those vehicle programs and the component teams that serve them. You will own the requirements, interfaces, and verification strategy for VAST's common product lines, turn fleet data into decisions, and build the technical case for where VAST invests next. Your work will directly reduce cost, shorten schedules, and drive commonality across every vehicle Blue flies.

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!

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

·       Own component-level requirements for VAST common and standard product lines, decomposing and allocating vehicle and stage requirements from GS1, GS2, GS3, Lunar, and Engines customers and tracing them through verification.

·       Envelope requirements across multiple customers into common specifications that maximize reuse, and own the trades when one customer's need drives cost or risk for the rest of the fleet.

·       Define and manage component interface control documents (ICDs) covering fluid media, pressures, flow, leakage, electrical/actuation, mechanical, and environmental interfaces.

·       Own the verification approach and closure for assigned product lines: verification requirements, methods, qualification-by-similarity rationale, and the evidence that requirements are met.

·       Mine acceptance, qualification, nonconformance, and flight data across the VAST catalog to find fleet-wide trends - start-of-life vs. end-of-life leakage, recurring failure modes, and cost drivers - and convert them into requirement, design, or process changes.

·       Support anomaly investigations, RCCA, and MRB disposition for VAST hardware, with a focus on systemic causes that cut across product families.

·       Drive tool and process improvements that remove manual steps from requirements, verification, and data workflows - we would rather build the tool that removes the busywork than staff it.

·       Help define VAST's systems engineering standards, templates, and review checklists, and mentor component engineers in requirements and verification practice.

Minimum Qualifications:

·       Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems, or Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.

·       5+ years of experience in systems engineering or related field

·       Demonstrated experience developing, decomposing, allocating, and tracing requirements through verification.

·       Working knowledge of interface management (ICDs/IRDs), qualification testing, and verification methods (test, analysis, inspection, similarity).

·       Ability to set a technical plan and drive it to closure across multiple teams without direct authority.

·       Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present trade studies and recommendations to engineering leadership.

·       Strong interpersonal skills, with a track record of building trust and fostering professional collaboration.

·       Passion for advancing safe human spaceflight and alignment with Blue Origin's mission.

·       Must be a U.S. citizen or national or U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder)

Preferred Qualifications:

·       Master's degree in an engineering or technical discipline.

·       7+ years of experience in aerospace fluids, propulsion, or component systems engineering.

·       Experience on launch vehicle, spacecraft, or rocket engine programs, particularly with reusable hardware and refurbishment cycles.

·       Hands-on familiarity with valves, regulators, actuators, quick disconnects, or similar fluid components, including sealing, leakage, and pressure-system behavior.

·       Experience interpreting test data to assess system and component performance.

·       Experience with cryogenic and high-pressure systems using oxygen, hydrogen, methane, nitrogen, or helium.

·       Experience creating common or standard component specifications that serve multiple vehicles or customers.

·       Experience with technology roadmapping, technology readiness level (TRL/MRL) assessment, or R&D portfolio planning.

·       Experience with structured problem solving (RCCA, 8D, FMEA, fault tree analysis) and nonconformance disposition.

·       Proficiency with requirements and PLM tools (e.g., DOORS/DNG, Jama, Cameo, Windchill) and data tools (Python, SQL, Databricks, or similar).

·       Experience with thermo-fluid analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop (SINDA/FLUINT) or REFPROP.

·       History of introducing a tool or process improvement that was adopted by others and cut manual effort or error rate.

Base Pay 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, 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 [email protected]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.