Engineer - Materials & Process Sr - Solar Modules

About the Role

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 a key member of our dedicated solar array engineering team, you will develop and qualify materials and processes for photovoltaic modules — from prototype through high-rate production — directly contributing to the solar arrays powering our next-generation satellite constellation and in-space transportation vehicles.

Special Mentions: Relocation provided. Travel expected up to 15% of the time. Interviews will include a technical assessment.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and qualify manufacturing processes for solar module fabrication, including solar cell stringing processes, adhesive encapsulation, vacuum lamination, and tabbing and bussing of photovoltaic cells
• Collaborate with R&D teams to transition novel materials and processes into production
• Develop and implement process controls and first-article qualification plans to ensure consistent, high-quality output from prototype builds through high-volume production rates
• Identify and solve materials and process challenges across the development-to-production continuum, from laboratory-scale demonstrations to a high-rate manufacturing line
• Support the integration of photovoltaic cells into solar power modules (SPMs), ensuring mechanical, electrical, and environmental compatibility for aerospace power systems
• Work closely with module design, systems engineering, and manufacturing teams on cell-to-module integration, including bonding, encapsulant, substrate adhesion, electrical interconnects, and environmental qualification testing
• Document experimental and process data thoroughly and support technology transfer activities to manufacturing, following aerospace quality and traceability requirements
• Contribute to a culture of technical innovation, process safety, and multidisciplinary collaboration within a high-performance engineering environment

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related engineering field
• 8+ years of experience in a manufacturing, fabrication, or laboratory environment
• Experience with semiconductor, optoelectronic, or photovoltaic devices
• Expertise with one or more of the following: adhesive characterization, bonding and lamination processes, encapsulation, solar cell stringing processes, coatings, or composites
• Familiarity with the space environment and its effect on materials
• 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

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, or Physics with 10+ years of experience, or Master's degree with 12+ years and space photovoltaics experience
• Direct experience with solar cell and/or panel fabrication processes
• Experience scaling photovoltaic fabrication processes from R&D or prototype into a production environment, including takt-time reduction and process capability studies
• Familiarity with testing of space-grade solar cells/panels
• Knowledge of photovoltaic device physics and performance characterization
• Familiarity with radiation effects on photovoltaic cells, coverglass, and encapsulant materials; experience with cryogenic or thermomechanical qualification of bonded assemblies is a plus
• Ability to source, design and test materials and properties for solar array improvement
• Interest or experience in emerging thin-film photovoltaic technologies as applied to flexible space power systems

Pay

• Colorado applicants: $133,500.00 – $186,898.95
• Washington applicants: $145,188.00 – $203,263.20
• Other site ranges may differ

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%
• Education Support Program
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.