Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer - Formulation

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our diverse team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This position is part of the Space Systems Development (SSD) business unit. SSD develops next-generation concepts and systems to advance our future of living and working in space sustainably.

As part of a diverse, passionate, and hardworking team of engineers, you will help define the nuclear portfolio of propulsion and power systems for in space and lunar applications. You will help guide multi-disciplinary teams to align the engine and power system architecture with customer and company strategies, products, and technology maturation plans.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Working with emerging and existing advanced concept program organizations to distill high level requirements into power and rocket propulsion system derived requirements.
• Trading engine and power nuclear reactor systems and components, working fluid choices, system configurations, power generation, and overall reactor components for the best overall, optimized solution with assessments of mass properties and historically based cost estimates.
• Working closely with systems and component design engineers to rapidly assess conceptual designs, perform system trade studies, develop integrated design solutions, formulate system margin strategy and performance parameters.
• Assessing needs to onramp lower TRL technologies, and the respective cost and risk benefits.
• Maturing and publishing the system-level reactor architecture, such as material and thermodynamic states, operational modes, functional flow block diagrams, and data flows.
• Developing and maturing Level 1 reactor engine and power system requirements and verification methodologies as well as risk assessments, collaborating with the Systems Engineering organization.
• Work with reactor, engine and component test groups to develop test and risk reduction plans.
• Perform mission analysis with a reactor propulsion and power generation focus, flying the vehicle/stage/spacecraft across the mission concept of operations to optimize engine and power design characteristics, and determine failure modes.
• Coach, mentor and technically assist other engineers.
• Represent the program and company in technical discussions with external customers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Passion for Blue Origin’s mission: Millions of people living and working space for the benefit of earth!
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in nuclear engineering, material science or equivalent technical field.
• 8+ years proven experience in the design, development, manufacturing, and/or testing of nuclear material fuels and/or materials used in reactor solutions (level commensurate on experience).
• 5+ years of experience overseeing, guiding, and mentoring less experienced engineers.
• Knowledgeable of reactor modeling and simulation, and impacts of material choices on design.
• Knowledgeable of space nuclear systems.
• Working knowledge of material systems, chemical processes, material behaviors in reactor environments, solid mechanics, thermal-structural interactions, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer.
• Ability to lead and work effectively in teams.
• Ability to be self-directed and balance several tasks at one time.
• Ability to communicate analysis results effectively.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and strengthen our culture of inclusion.
• Must be a 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in engineering discipline.
• Knowledge of nuclear thermal propulsion systems and in-space nuclear electrical power generation systems.
• Knowledge of reactor system development and test.
• Knowledge of reactor fuel qualification including testing.
• Knowledge of space flight system such as liquid rocket engines, radioscopic thermos generators, or power systems for in space environments.
• Knowledge of nuclear fuel production processes.
• Experience with proposal support (technical/management volumes, Task Description/Basis-of-Estimate development, etc.).
• Experience working with U.S. Government research agencies (e.g. NASA, AFRL, DARPA, DOE, INL).
• Experience with fault-tolerance strategies and architectures for safety and mission-critical systems.
• Experience developing requirements, defining subsystem interfaces (both in-house and between external partners/suppliers), and other systems engineering products and practices.
• Experience across the product life cycle (pre-conceptual design through field support).
• Experience with collaboration tools such as Confluence and JIRA.
• Proven understanding in the use of 3-D CAD tools (Creo is helpful) and configuration and data management software (Windchill, JAZZ, Doors, JAMA).
• Familiarity with formal risk and opportunity management processes.
• Able to obtain U.S. government classified clearance.