Thermal Protection System Lead - Lunar Permanence

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 is part of the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. To further Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

In this position, you will work directly with NASA as part of the Human Landing System (HLS) program. You will play a key role in developing the systems that will return humans to the Moon and extend human presence permanently beyond the bounds of Earth! We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and dedication to quality to build the road to space. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

We are looking for engineers to be responsible for soft-goods thermal protection components — flexible blankets, felts, quilted assemblies, and high-temperature fabric systems — from conception, through internal or external development, testing, and integration with the vehicle.

You will be part of the thermal design and analysis group, which works closely with the hardware delivery groups within Lunar Permanence. Inputs to your work will include mission timelines, environments, and design and construction standards. Outputs will include component specifications, test plan/execution/reports, occasional thermal analysis, short/long term development plans, and make/buy decisions.

Contribute to a team of thermal engineers and analysts simultaneously developing groundbreaking lunar landers. 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 

• Lead the thermal protection system design with a focus on flexible/soft-goods solutions — material selection, stack configuration (blankets, felts, quilted layups, multi-layer insulation), and analysis.

• Own the delivery and quality of the TPS system design as well as delivery of the hardware solutions.   

• Lead development and testing campaigns for new soft-goods materials or stack configurations (e.g., quilted blankets, felted insulation, flexible ablators, MLI) to meet thermal and mechanical requirements.

• Identify and/or develop flight implementation and installation approaches. 

• Balance hardware design response against cost and schedule 

• Perform trade studies and optimizations of solutions and collaborate with external subsystems on the trade offs 

• Document design and analysis results and present at program gated reviews 

• Communicate progress to leadership team via; program management reviews weekly/monthly, finance reviews, long term forecasting business plan, and project deep dives. 

Qualifications: 

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree

• 9+ years relevant Thermal Engineering experience 

• Solid understanding of thermal fundamentals 

• Familiarity with soft-goods materials used in thermal protection systems — e.g., high-temperature fabrics (Nextel, quartz, silica, PBI), flexible felts, multi-layer insulation, and quilted blanket assemblies (rigid ceramic tile TPS experience is not the focus of this role)

• Demonstrated experience building and testing hardware in extreme environments 

• Understanding of aerospace hardware verification and validation process 

• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion. 

Desired: 

• M.S. or PhD degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering 

• Solid understanding of high temperature material properties 

• Familiarity with heritage reusable soft-goods TPS designs (e.g., AFRSI, FRSI, quilted/stitched blanket systems) as opposed to rigid ceramic tile heritage systems

• Proven experience taking novel designs through NASA certification 

• Experience solving a variety of thermal problems demonstrating breadth in application 

• Vendor technical management experience 

• Familiarity with Thermal Desktop and Sinda/Fluint, including model validation and test correlation 

• Familiarity with DOE and testing procedures  

Base Pay Range for:

CA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45
CO applicants is $144,179.00 - $201,849.90
WA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45

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.