Principal Propulsion Engineer – Engines

BLUE ORIGIN

Principal Propulsion Engineer responsible for engine-level systems architecture at Blue Origin. Collaborating across teams to ensure design coherence, traceability, and performance goals.

Posted 5/27/2026full-timeGreater Seattle Area • Alabama, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $169,624 - $237,473 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own the engine-level systems architecture, ensuring design decisions made at the subsystem level are coherent, traceable, and optimized for the system as a whole
Develop, decompose, and allocate requirements across subsystems, maintaining clear traceability and a credible path to verification for every requirement
Define and control all key interfaces between engine subsystems and between the engine and vehicle, resolving conflicts before they become integration problems
Lead engine-level trade studies with analytical rigor, driving clear recommendations that advance the program rather than cataloguing options
Actively engage with test data, anomaly investigations, and design iterations to identify optimization opportunities and push system performance
Identify technical risks early, develop mitigation strategies, and communicate program status with clarity and honesty to leadership and stakeholders
Serve as the technical hub across a wide range of stakeholders — subsystem engineers, vehicle teams, test operations, and program leadership
Coordinate System Safety analysis across the engine, ensuring complete hazard coverage and no gaps across subsystems
Lead and prepare for major program reviews, setting a high bar for technical readiness and ensuring the team is prepared to defend their designs
Maintain configuration discipline across drawings, interface control documents, and design documentation so the team always has an accurate picture of the current system

Requirements

What you’ll need

B.S. or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field
10+ years of experience in propulsion or aerospace system development, with meaningful time spent on liquid rocket engine programs
Hands-on experience with requirements development, interface definition, and system-level verification on flight or flight-like hardware
Sufficient propulsion fundamentals to engage credibly with subsystem engineers across combustion devices, turbomachinery, and feed systems
Experience with requirements management tools such as DOORS, DNG, Jama, or equivalent, and Atlassian tools including Jira and Confluence

Benefits

Comp & perks

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
Up to 14 company-paid holidays

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

systems architecturerequirements developmentinterface definitionsystem-level verificationpropulsion fundamentalsliquid rocket engine programshazard analysistrade studiesanomaly investigationsoptimization strategies

Soft Skills

leadershipcommunicationstakeholder engagementanalytical rigorclarityhonestycoordinationtechnical readinessproblem-solvingcollaboration