Physical Vapor Deposition Researcher — Associate Engineer II

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. Working with PVD lead you will execute and refine physical vapor deposition processes (thermal evaporation, co-evaporation, sputtering) to produce high-quality thin films for advanced photovoltaic devices. You will run experiments, collect and analyze data, maintain equipment, and contribute to process improvement. This is a hands-on role with significant time in the lab operating vacuum systems, performing film characterization, and iterating on process recipes.

Responsibilities

• Operate thermal evaporation, co-evaporation, and sputtering systems to deposit thin-film layers per established recipes and DOE plans
• Perform routine film characterization (thickness measurement, profilometry, 4-point probe, optical transmission, XRD sample prep)
• Maintain vacuum deposition equipment including source changes, chamber cleaning, pump maintenance, and substrate fixture preparation
• Record detailed experimental data and maintain lab notebooks to research-grade documentation standards
• Analyze process data and present results to the team, identifying trends and proposing recipe modifications
• Support DOE campaigns by preparing substrates, executing run matrices, and compiling results
• Assist with equipment commissioning, qualification runs, and process capability studies
• Contribute to process documentation, standard operating procedures, and safety protocols
• Collaborate with device integration team to provide films meeting target specifications on schedule
• Perform routine laboratory maintenance: chamber cleaning, pump oil changes, source replacements, substrate fixture reconditioning, and general lab upkeep
• Manage consumables inventory (targets, crucibles, substrates, gases) and coordinate reorders to prevent supply interruptions
• Maintain lab cleanliness, organization, and chemical inventory records; support hazardous waste collection and disposal
• Troubleshoot equipment issues (leak detection, pressure anomalies, source failures) and coordinate vendor service when needed

Required Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or related field
• 2+ years of experience in vacuum thin-film deposition (academic or industry)
• Hands-on experience operating vacuum systems (thermal evaporators, sputter coaters, or similar)
• Basic understanding of thin-film growth physics (nucleation, crystal orientation, stress)
• Familiarity with standard thin-film characterization techniques (profilometry, XRD, SEM, optical spectroscopy)
• Demonstrated ability to work safely with vacuum equipment, compressed gases, and laboratory chemicals
• Strong documentation habits and attention to experimental detail

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. with thesis work involving vacuum deposition of photovoltaic or optoelectronic materials
• Experience with multi-source co-evaporation or reactive sputtering
• Familiarity with perovskite, CIGS, CdTe, or organic semiconductor materials
• Experience with QCM-based deposition rate monitoring
• Knowledge of DOE methodology and statistical analysis tools (JMP, Minitab, or Python/R)
• Experience in a cleanroom or controlled-environment laboratory setting
• Coursework or research in photovoltaic device physics

Base Pay Range

For WA applicants is $99,201.00 – $138,880.35. 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