Solution Processed Coating Researcher — Lead Engineer

About the role

Lead development of solution-processed perovskite coatings for space applications, including formulation, coating optimization, and scale-up. 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. You will lead the development of solution-processed deposition techniques to deposit perovskite absorber layers, charge transport layers, and interface modification layers. You will own formulation, coating parameter optimization, crystallization, drying and annealing science for scalable manufacturing. You will be responsible for establishing process-structure-property relationships that enable statistical process control.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize solution-based deposition processes for perovskite absorber layers and charge transport materials
• Formulate and characterize precursors: solvent systems, additive engineering, shelf-life stability
• Design and commission coating equipment for perovskite-specific requirements (inert atmosphere, substrate heating, meniscus control, drying zones)
• Develop drying and annealing protocols (thermal, vacuum-assisted, gas quenching, anti-solvent) that control nucleation, grain growth, and crystallographic orientation
• Map process-structure-property relationships through systematic DOE campaigns correlating coating parameters with film morphology and device performance
• Establish scalable coating processes with defined process windows, uniformity specifications, and in-line quality metrics
• Develop defect classification and root-cause analysis methods for coating defects (pinholes, dewetting, thickness non-uniformity)
• Define scale-up pathway from lab-scale to pilot-scale continuous coating

Requirements

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in solution-processed thin-film deposition for photovoltaic, OLED, or printed electronics applications
• Demonstrated experience formulating functional precursors (perovskite, metal oxide, organic semiconductor, or nanoparticle)
• Strong understanding of film formation mechanisms from solution: solvent evaporation, nucleation and growth, anti-solvent crystallization
• Hands-on experience with rheology characterization and its relationship to coating quality
• Track record of scaling solution-processed films from lab to pilot or production scale

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related field (preferred)
• Direct experience with perovskite precursor formulation, coating, and crystallization
• Experience with roll-to-roll or sheet-to-sheet coating at pilot scale
• Knowledge of additive engineering strategies for perovskite grain size control and defect passivation
• Experience with in-line metrology for coating processes (optical, thermal imaging, spectroscopic)
• Familiarity with amine-based solvents (DMF, DMSO, NMP) — handling, waste management, and exposure controls
• Publication record in solution-processed perovskite or printed photovoltaics
• Experience managing or mentoring a team of 3+ researchers

Skills

• Rheology characterization
• Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Thin‑film characterization
• In‑line metrology (optical, thermal imaging, spectroscopic)
• Solution processing of perovskite, metal oxide, organic semiconductor, nanoparticle precursors
• Coating equipment design and commissioning
• Process scale‑up from lab to pilot/production

Benefits

• Medical,