Solar Panel Responsible Engineer - Lunar Permanence

About the role

This role is part of the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. The goal is to build sustainable infrastructure for transporting crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

Responsibilities

• Deliver space-qualified solar panel and backing structure flight hardware
• Drive new product development from requirements definition through production readiness for modular and scalable products
• Lead internal design reviews and participate in reviews with suppliers and customers; support design for test/manufacture/cost (DFx)
• Earn trust and maintain positive and professional relationships
• Communicate development status, risks, and challenges to management
• Analyze, track, and report key performance metrics contextualized against vehicle requirements
• Routinely collaborate with manufacturing operations, supply chain, and other teams within the company to ensure smooth execution

Requirements

• B.S. in Mechanical, Electrical, Material Science, Physics, Aerospace Engineering or related areas of study
• 5+ years of direct experience in solar panel development (or similarly constructed products); 3+ years in space applications desired
• Experience across the full product development lifecycle, including concept definition, architecture, requirements capture and development, implementation, verification, system integration, qualification, and release
• Demonstrated experience designing, specifying, procuring, and testing of space grade panels and adhesives
• Familiarity with photovoltaic cells, design/construction of solar panels, and associated test methods (such as AIAA S-112)
• Knowledge of space environment effects on solar panels, such as vacuum, radiation, UV, temperature cycling
• Desire to work hands-on, both independently and as part of a team, throughout the development and production phases
• Self-starting who thrives in a fast-paced new product development environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Qualifications

• 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

Skills

Advanced graduate degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Material Science, Physics, Aerospace Engineering or related areas of study is preferred.

• 8+ years of direct experience in solar panel development (or similarly constructed products); 5+ years in space applications desired
• Subject matter expertise (SME) to drive solar array architecture trade studies, performance characterization, and component selection
• Proficiency with common engineering design and simulation software (e.g. CREO, ANSYS, MATLAB, Simscape, STK)

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