Physical Vapor Deposition Researcher — Lead Engineer

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 the Lead Physical Vapor Deposition Researcher, you will lead the development of physical vapor deposition processes for perovskite photovoltaic cells. You will be responsible for process development from first principles through statistical process control, owning recipe design, equipment specification, in-situ monitoring strategies, and yield optimization for your processes. You will lead and mentor other associate researchers and coordinate with the team to translate device architectures into robust process windows.   Responsibilities include but are not limited to: • Develop and optimize PVD processes (thermal evaporation, co-evaporation, sputtering) for perovskite absorber layers, charge-transport layers, and transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) • Drive innovation for new processes to improve device performance • Design deposition recipes for different materials (e.g. multi-source co-evaporation recipes) for film deposition. • Specify, commission, and qualify vacuum deposition equipment for perovskite-specific requirements (source types, substrate heating, in-situ monitoring) • Develop in-situ process monitoring and feedback control strategies (QCM, optical reflectometry, residual gas analysis) • Establish statistical process control (SPC) for critical film properties such as thickness uniformity, composition, crystallinity, resistivity, surface roughness • Lead DOE campaigns to map process-structure-property relationships and define robust process windows • Collaborate with the team to translate layer specifications into deposition recipes with appropriate tolerances • Mentor and direct the work of 2 associate deposition researchers • Develop and maintain process documentation, equipment maintenance protocols, and safety procedures for vacuum systems • Analyze film characterization data (XRD, SEM, AFM, XPS, ellipsometry) to correlate process parameters with film quality

Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or related field • 5+ years of experience in vacuum thin-film deposition for photovoltaic, semiconductor, or optoelectronic applications • Expert-level knowledge of thermal evaporation and/or sputtering process physics (nucleation, growth kinetics, film stress, morphology control) • Demonstrated experience with multi-source co-evaporation or sequential deposition of multi-component films • Hands-on experience with vacuum system design, operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance (load-locks, cryo/turbo pumps, source design) • Proficiency with thin-film characterization techniques (XRD, SEM, profilometry, ellipsometry, 4-point probe)

Preferred Qualifications • Direct experience with vapor-deposited perovskite films (co-evaporation of organic halides and metal halides) • Experience with hybrid sequential deposition methods (vapor-assisted solution processing) • Knowledge of TCO deposition (ITO, FTO, AZO) by sputtering for photovoltaic applications • Experience with in-situ optical monitoring or spectroscopic ellipsometry during growth • Experience managing or mentoring junior researchers in a lab environment • Familiarity with perovskite degradation mechanisms and how deposition conditions affect stability • Familiarity with degradation of perovskite solar cells in the outer space environment • Publication record in vacuum-deposited perovskite or related thin-film PV technologies • Track record of scaling deposition processes from small-area R&D to larger substrate formats

  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

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