Sr. Propulsion Engineer – Thermo-Mechanical Analysis

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 the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight.

As part of our hardworking team of engineers, you will own the thermo-mechanical modeling of our large-scale rotating hardware. You will build and maintain 2D axisymmetric whole-engine models of the rotor and casing, integrate them with secondary-flow networks, and predict the metal temperatures, structural margins, and running clearances that   determine   whether our turbomachinery performs and survives. This position is integral to the success of our missions and requires strong familiarity with rotating-equipment structural and thermal analysis.  

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 !  

Special Mentions:

• Relocation provided  

• Travel expected up to 20% of the time  

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:  

• Develop,   maintain , and own 2D axisymmetric thermo-mechanical whole-engine / whole-pump models of rotating equipment, predicting metal temperatures,   component   deflections, and clearances across the full operating envelope.  

• Translate 3D   component   and assembly geometry into efficient 2D axisymmetric representations that capture the governing thermal and structural features.  

• Implement transient operating profiles (startup, acceleration, steady-state, throttle transients, shutdown, and cooldown / soak-back) and assess their effect on differential growth and clearances.  

• Work closely with secondary-flow analysts to develop conjugate thermal-fluid models, translating internal-flow network outputs (cavity pressures, temperatures, leakage flows, windage) into convective boundary conditions using rotating-disc,   gaspath , and cavity heat-transfer correlations; calibrate against rig and engine test data.  

• Apply thermal boundary conditions to axisymmetric structural models to predict   rotor stack,   casing   stack separation margin,   radial fit s , and   critical   radial / axial   clearance closure across transients for   critical flow   area   and rub margin   assessment.  

• Perform   component   structural margin, bolted-joint, and interference-fit assessments using 2D and 3D ANSYS, and feed results to life assessment (LCF / HCF / creep).  

• Synthesize thermal and structural analysis results into actionable operability guidance, informing and negotiating system-level   ConOps   trades that balance s   hardware   reliability and   life against mission performance   objectives .  

• Collaborate across disciplines — design, aero / CFD, secondary flow,   rotordynamics , materials, and test — to anchor analysis assumptions and resolve complex hardware issues.  

• Develop and   maintain   analysis-driven design requirements and documentation; contribute technical artifacts to subsystem and program gated reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, TRR).  

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering , Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.  

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in mechanical / structural / thermal analysis of rotating machinery or comparable high-performance hardware (or fewer years with   demonstrated   ownership of a   whole-engine   / 2D axisymmetric thermo-mechanical model).  

• Hands-on experience with transient thermal and nonlinear structural finite element analysis in ANSYS (contact, plasticity, thermal-structural coupling).  

• Demonstrated experience building (not just running) whole-engine / 2D axisymmetric thermo-mechanical models of rotating equipment.  

• Ability to independently derive convective heat-transfer boundary conditions from engineering correlations (does not depend on a separate CFD team to populate a thermal model).  

• Experience working in cross-disciplinary engineering teams.  

• A track record   of taking ownership, showing resilience in the face of challenges, and consistently delivering results.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of relevant industry experience.  

• Experience working in aerospace.  

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a related discipline.  

• Experience producing tip-clearance / pinch-point predictions that informed clearance budgets or active clearance control.  

• Life assessment experience: thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF), creep, low- cycle   and high-cycle fatigue (LCF / HCF).  

• Rotordynamics   literacy (Campbell diagrams, critical speeds, bearing support stiffness) sufficient to close the radial clearance budget.  

• Experience correlating and calibrating thermo-mechanical models against rig or engine test data.  

• Component   design experience (bladed rotors /   blisks , discs, casings, seals, bolted joints).  

• Scripting and automation (Python, MATLAB, ANSYS APDL).  

• Working knowledge of ASME Y14.5 GD&T and tolerance / stack-up analysis.  

• Experience with 1D fluid-network tools (e.g.,   Flownex ) and proprietary whole-engine-model toolchains.  

• Background in gas turbines, steam turbines, APUs, turbochargers, or oil & gas dense-gas compressors / expanders.  

• Demonstrated use of — or genuine enthusiasm to adopt — modern AI-assisted engineering tools (e.g., LLM-based coding/analysi

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