Propulsion Engineer III – Auxiliary Systems Design

BLUE ORIGIN

Propulsion Engineer III designing mechanical auxiliary and driveline systems for large-scale turbomachinery at Blue Origin. Leading design, development, and testing efforts within a collaborative environment.

Posted 6/18/2026full-timeGreater Seattle Area • Alabama, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $121,023 - $169,432 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Assembly

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own the mechanical design of the auxiliary and driveline systems supporting large-scale turbomachinery development and testing
Responsible for design and development of shaft couplings, bearing housings and integration, speed-reduction gear units, bearing fluid lubrication systems, seal support systems, mounting and structural support systems — from concept through hardware implementation and test
Lead the driveline architecture trades: rigid versus flexible coupling, direct drive versus an intermediate / quill shaft with its own bearings versus a reduction gear unit; document the decisions and their rationale
Create and release engineering drawings, 3D models, and specifications in CAD (NX or Creo) and the PLM system (Windchill), applying GD&T per ASME Y14.5
Perform and direct tolerance stack-ups, fit / clearance definition, and alignment analysis for the rotating-equipment train
Integrate the bearing system into the driveline design — housings, fits, instrumentation provisions, and assembly — in close collaboration with bearing subject-matter experts.
Serve as the prime mechanical-design interface to external vendors (coupling, bearing, gear-unit, and driven-equipment suppliers): own the interface control documents, evaluate proposals, and drive technical alignment
Interface with the core turbomachinery team on rotordynamics and bearing loads so that coupling, bearing, and shaft-train requirements are correctly captured and met
Contribute to detailed trade studies that result in selecting optimal mission-suitable subsystem hardware
Support hardware build, assembly, acceptance testing, alignment, and anomaly investigation for auxiliary-systems components; provide engineering dispositions for non-conforming hardware
Develop and maintain design requirements and documentation; contribute technical artifacts to subsystem and program gated reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, TRR)

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
Minimum of 5 years of experience in the mechanical design of rotating equipment or drivetrain hardware (couplings, bearings, gear units, shaft systems, or comparable rotating-machinery mechanical systems)
Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX, Creo, or equivalent) and engineering drawing release
Working knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T, ASME Y14.5) and tolerance stack-up analysis
Demonstrated ownership of hardware through at least one complete design, build, and test cycle
Experience working in cross-disciplinary engineering teams
A track record of taking ownership, showing resilience in the face of challenges, and consistently delivering results.

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)
Up to four (4) weeks paid time off 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

mechanical designrotating equipmentdrivetrain hardwareshaft couplingsbearing housingsspeed-reduction gear unitsbearing fluid lubrication systemsGeometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)tolerance stack-up analysis3D CAD

Soft Skills

ownershipresiliencecross-disciplinary collaborationtechnical alignmentproblem-solvingcommunicationdecision-makingleadershipresults-orientedadaptability