Sr. Design Engineer, Structural/Mechanical GSE

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 the Senior Structural Design Engineer on a small structural design team within Engines Advanced Programs, you will serve as the team's technical design lead — owning the most complex hardware and providing the senior technical voice on structural design, analysis, and trade decisions. You will design, analyze, build, and commission critical operational equipment, working directly with end users, technicians, and vendors.

Our team is the backbone of operational infrastructure for our program. We design essential support hardware including test stands, towers, lift fixtures, pipe supports, specialized assembly tooling, transporters, maintenance platforms, and dolly systems. We routinely design and analyze steel and aluminum structures, and we deliver mechanical systems that may include hydraulic, pneumatic, or other energized subsystems.

You will work the entire design cycle with no oversight — concept of operations through field commissioning. The hardware presents real structural challenges: non-obvious load paths, tight integration interfaces, code-driven sizing (ASME B30.20/BTH-1, AISC-360, ASCE-7, Aluminum Design Manual), welded steel and aluminum structures, and energized subsystems where structural integrity is safety-critical. The role demands advanced FEA and hand analysis, technical judgment to trade architecture and analysis approach, and the ability to defend designs in cross-discipline reviews. You will lead structural anomaly investigations and root cause analysis when hardware does not behave as predicted, and serve as the technical resource other engineers consult on hard structural problems.

We are looking for a senior structural engineer with deep design and analysis experience, strong working knowledge of structural codes for industrial and lifting equipment, and a track record of complex hardware delivered to the field. The role requires advanced technical judgment, ownership of the team's hardest problems, and willingness to put boots on the ground for fabrication support and field commissioning.

• Relocation provided
• Travel expected up to 20% of the time
• Interviews will include a technical assessment

• Own end-to-end design of the most complex assigned hardware — clean-sheet structures, complex assemblies, and structurally critical equipment — from project objectives and concept of operations through operational handover
• Develop system technical needs and concepts of operations from project objectives and stakeholder input
• Create detailed designs and bills of materials through 3D CAD models and 2D drawing packages to industry standards (ASME Y14.5)
• Perform robust structural and mechanical analysis using FEA software and hand calculations; author detailed analysis reports describing load cases, factors of safety, and margins
• Define hardware test scope, requirements, and configurations, including non-destructive evaluation, proof testing, operational testing, material testing, and weld inspection
• Lead system safety analyses such as Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP), Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), and Fault Tolerance Analysis (FTA)
• Develop activation and commissioning plans, and lead installation and commissioning activities in the field
• Maintain design authority throughout fabrication, working closely with vendors and manufacturing teams; resolve technical issues during field integration
• Oversee procurement and build of hardware (internal and external) to ensure it meets technical and operational requirements
• Serve as the team's technical resource for complex structural problems, trade studies, and architectural decisions
• Lead structural anomaly investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action development
• Provide technical review of designs, analyses, and drawing packages produced by other engineers
• Develop analysis methods, design tooling, and verification practices that improve technical quality and efficiency
• Represent the team in cross-discipline and cross-program technical reviews
• Provide schedule, hours, and budget input to leadership; inform program-level technical risk and trade decisions

• B.S. degree in mechanical, civil, or aerospace engineering or related discipline from an accredited institution
• Minimum 7 years of experience designing and developing structural and mechanical equipment, tooling, or industrial hardware throughout the product life cycle
• Demonstrated ability to own complex designs from concept through commissioning with no oversight
• Demonstrated advanced technical judgment on complex structural problems, including trade studies and architectural decisions
• Experience leading structural anomaly investigations and root cause analysis on complex hardware
• Advanced experience using CAD and FEA software (Creo/NX and ANSYS preferred)
• Advanced drawing and modeling proficiency, including detail and assembly drawings with GD&T (ASME Y14.5)
• Deep design and analysis experience with steel and aluminum welded structures
• Strong working knowledge of industry codes and standards for structural equipment and tooling (e.g., ASME B30.20/BTH-1, OSHA, AISC-360, ASCE-7, Aluminum Design Manual)
• Practical knowledge of manufacturing processes (milling, turning, cutting, welding) and ability to design for fabrication
• Experience working with multi-functional teams including maintenance and sustaining operations
• Experience developing operational procedures for testing, commissioning, and maintenance of structural equipment and tooling
• Strong organization and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects
• Willingness to travel up to 20% to support hardware installation, troubleshooting, testing, and vendor support
• 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.

• M.S. degree in mechanical, civil, or aerospace engineering
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Civil, Mechanical, or Structural engineering
• Experience as engineer of record on critical lift hardware (ASME B30.20 / ASME BTH-1)
• Experience standing up new programs or capabilities — clean-sheet design rather than sustaining existing equipment
• Experience providing technical guidance to less-experienced engineers through design reviews and structural trade studies
• Experience qualifying welders and welding procedures (AWS D1.1, D1.2, or D14.1)
• Experience designing structural equipment and tooling for aerospace, propulsion, or other heavy industrial applications, including coordination with critical adjacent hardware
• Experience designing hydraulic and pneumatic mechanical systems
• Experience designing and analyzing hydraulic and pneumatic mechanical systems
• Fundamental understanding of ASME B31.3 for Process Piping
• Hands-on experience constructing or repairing a range of mechanical components and systems, acquired through personal pursuits or professional experience
• Proficiency in tolerance stack-up analysis
• Experience with PDM/PLM version control systems

Base Pay 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.