Senior Manufacturing Opto-Mechanical & Sensor DFX Engineer at Blue Origin in Bay Area, CA

Job description

Application close date: Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed. 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 team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities. Blue Origin's Emerging Systems business unit is building TeraWave, a satellite communications constellation powered by the most advanced optical communications architecture ever attempted: thousands of optically interconnected satellites delivering symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth, providing enterprise and hyperscale customers with resilient, scalable connectivity for critical operations where terrestrial infrastructure cannot reach. As a Senior Manufacturing Opto-Mechanical & Sensor DFX Engineer, you will own the end-to-end opto-mechanical and sensor assembly design integration of TeraWave modules — bridging precision optical alignment, sensor integration, mechanical packaging, and volume production readiness. As a foundational element of TeraWave operations, hardware must be architected not only for performance but for manufacturability, testability, reliability, and serviceability at constellation scale. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who has designed, aligned, and shipped complex opto-mechanical and sensor assemblies in fast-moving, high-volume manufacturing environments and wants to apply that experience to hardware operating at orbital scale. Special Mentions: Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates. Travel: Up to 50%. Responsibilities: Opto-Mechanical & Sensor Assembly Design, Integration & Manufacturing Lead opto-mechanical assembly design for optical communication modules and sensor subsystems: optical mounts, alignment mechanisms, beam-path integration, sensor packaging, and mechanical integration of precision optical and sensing hardware. Own opto-mechanical and sensor assembly process development — including alignment procedures, active/passive alignment tooling, bonding, athermalization, and integration workflows — to ensure robust, repeatable assembly. Manage opto-mechanical and sensor BOM procurement, vendor coordination, tolerance and alignment budget analysis, and assembly oversight. Drive first-article inspection, optical performance validation, process validation, and manufacturing readiness reviews to support production ramp. Design for Excellence (DFX) Drive Design for Excellence (DFX) principles — DFM, DFT, DFA, DFR, and DFS — across the full opto-mechanical and sensor assembly lifecycle to ensure hardware scales from prototype through volume production for TeraWave operations. Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Optimize optical mount geometry, material selection, alignment features, and assembly processes to maximize yield and minimize cost at constellation-scale production volumes. Design for Test (DFT): Integrate optical access points, alignment references, sensor test features, and fixturing to enable efficient optical performance verification, factory acceptance, and in-field diagnostics. Design for Assembly (DFA): Simplify part count, alignment features, fastening and bonding methods, and integration steps to reduce alignment time, rework, and error rates on the line. Design for Reliability (DFR): Apply tolerance stack-up and alignment budget analysis, worst-case analysis, FMEA, thermal-mechanical and vibration analysis, and reliability prediction to ensure stable optical performance and long-duration operation in the orbital environment. Design for Serviceability/Supply Chain (DFS): Coo