TPS Test Engineer

BLUE ORIGIN • West Melbourne, FL

2d

About The Position

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. We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth. Special Mentions: Relocation assistance is available for this position This role requires up to 25% travel to specialized domestic test facilities

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in a test engineering role
• Demonstrated experience in laboratory testing, test planning, and data collection
• Strong proficiency in data analysis and technical report writing
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to communicate technical information clearly at all organizational levels
• Proven ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or leading small technical teams

Nice To Haves

• Advanced experience writing and reviewing formal test plans and procedures for aerospace applications
• Extensive hands-on experience with test instrumentation selection, installation, calibration, and troubleshooting
• Demonstrated expertise in interpreting complex test data and extracting meaningful conclusions
• Proven experience operating and optimizing internal test stands and laboratory equipment
• Established knowledge of contracting and managing external test houses
• Experience with multiple specialized TPS testing methods: High enthalpy arc jet Thermoacoustic Rain erosion Mechanical allowables Lightning Impact Thermal properties Catalycity Hot structure subsystem tests Hypervelocity impact
• Experience with safety critical systems
• Aerospace/Launch vehicle experience
• Master's Degree with focus on testing methodologies or thermal systems
• Experience leading technical projects or small teams

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute tests for various spaceflight Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) for our launch vehicles, in-space systems, planetary landers, and crewed vehicles
• Develop and review comprehensive test plans and procedures for TPS qualification and verification
• Design, set up, and operate internal test stands to evaluate TPS performance and durability
• Manage relationships with external test houses, including contract development, test coordination, and quality oversight
• Select, install, and optimize appropriate instrumentation for capturing critical test data
• Analyze and interpret complex test data to validate TPS designs and performance
• Document and present test results to engineering teams and leadership
• Mentor junior engineers in test methodologies and best practices
• Support the TPS product managers and other engineers in resolving technical challenges
• Drive continuous improvement of test methodologies and facilities
• Lead collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure TPS meets mission requirements
• Maintain detailed documentation of test activities, results, and lessons learned
• Contribute to technical standards and procedures for TPS testing

Benefits

• 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.
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level