Mechanical Engineer III – Solar Test Equipment

About this role

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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

As part of a hardworking team of specialists, technicians, and engineers, you will own the development and qualification test equipment that proves out Blue Origin’s next-generation solar array programs. The Solar Center of Excellence is building world-class capabilities in solar array development—from materials and processes through assembly, test, and qualification—and the electromechanical test stands, sensor systems, and test fixturing you design will validate flight hardware performance every step of the way. If you thrive at the intersection of mechanical design, electrical instrumentation, and controls, and want your work to directly enable humanity’s future in space, this is the team for you.

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

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: • Design, build, and validate development test setups and Qualification Test Procedure (QTP) test stands for spacecraft mechanisms, drive electronics, and solar array subsystems • Design electro-mechanical test stands using force/torque sensors, temperature sensors, motors, limit switches, and microcontrollers to characterize spacecraft mechanism performance • Design and execute parasitic torque test stands and test methods to quantify friction, cogging, and drag losses in drive trains and deployment mechanisms • Design sensor test stands and test methods to characterize sensor performance (e.g., position, temperature, current, voltage) across operating range and environmental conditions • Assist in the design, build, and checkout of diode test stands supporting bypass/blocking diode characterization for solar cell strings and panels • Design and build electrical test stations and fixturing, including harnessing, connectorized interfaces, signal conditioning, and DAQ integration for mechanism and electrical subsystem test • Select, integrate, and calibrate sensors and instrumentation (load cells, torque sensors, encoders, RTDs, thermocouples) into test stands and GSE • Apply mechatronic design principles, integrating mechanical structure, actuators, sensors, and embedded control/microcontroller systems into a single test asset • Write test procedures and develop data acquisition and control software/scripts (e.g., LabVIEW, Python, or PLC/microcontroller code) to run automated or semi-automated test sequences • Reduce and analyze test data to characterize hardware performance and inform pass/fail criteria against requirements • Collaborate with mechanisms designers, electrical engineers, and test engineers to define test requirements, success criteria, and instrumentation needs for development and qualification testing • Generate component drawings, wiring diagrams, and interface documentation; apply GD&T per ASME Y14.5 as needed for precision test fixturing • Communicate lessons learned from test stand development and use to the design team with recommended improvements to hardware testability • Coach, mentor, and technically assist junior engineers

Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics/Mechatronic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline • 5+ years of relevant experience designing and building electromechanical test equipment, test stands, or GSE • Experience integrating sensors (force, torque, temperature, position, current/voltage) into test systems and interpreting sensor data • Experience with electrical test station design, including fixturing, harnessing, and connectorized interfaces • Hands-on experience building, wiring, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware, including acceptance and checkout testing • Working knowledge of microcontrollers, PLCs, or embedded control systems as applied to test stand automation • Proficiency in 3D CAD using Creo (or equivalent parametric modeling tool) for mechanical test fixture design; experience managing designs in Windchill or an equivalent PDM system • Experience with data acquisition systems and test automation software (e.g., LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB) • Working knowledge of structural analysis sufficient to size load-bearing members of test fixtures and verify load paths • Experience writing test procedures and reducing/analyzing test data against requirements • 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 designing Qualification Test Procedure (QTP) test stands or development test equipment for aerospace mechanisms or spacecraft hardware • Experience with parasitic torque, friction, or drag-loss test methods for drive trains, gearboxes, or deployment mechanisms • Experience with diode test stands or solar cell/string/panel electrical characterization test equipment • Familiarity with solar array or photovoltaic subsystem testing (I-V curve testing, illumination/solar simulator test, bypass diode characterization) • Experience with PLC or microcontroller programming (e.g., Beckhoff TwinCAT, LabVIEW, Arduino) for test stand automation • E

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