Manufacturing Engineer - Tooling and GSE - TeraWave

About the role

As the Manufacturing Engineer - Tooling & GSE , you will be the technical owner of all production tooling, alignment fixtures, handling equipment, and ground support equipment used to assemble, integrate, align, test, and transport precision optical telescope assemblies. You will bridge the gap between design engineering and the production floor - translating optical and opto-mechanical designs into robust, repeatable, and technician-executable manufacturing processes. This is a hands-on, production-focused role . You will design fixtures, prove them out on the floor, iterate based on real build data, and ensure every tool and process meets the precision and cleanliness demands of spaceflight optical hardware.

Responsibilities

• Tooling & Fixture Design
• Design, develop, and qualify precision production tooling, including alignment nests, bondline gauges, shim kits, potting fixtures, optical handling fixtures, integration jigs, and custom assembly aids for optical telescope assemblies
• Own the full lifecycle of tooling - from concept through design, fabrication, first-article tryout, iteration, qualification, and production release
• Ensure all tooling meets requirements for positional accuracy, repeatability, thermal stability, contamination compatibility, and operator ergonomics
• Apply kinematic and semi-kinematic design principles to ensure deterministic, repeatable positioning of optical elements
• Ground Support Equipment (GSE)
• Design and qualify all mechanical GSE for handling, transport, storage, and environmental testing of optical telescope assemblies and subassemblies
• Develop GSE for vibration, shock, and thermal vacuum (TVAC) test campaigns - including test fixtures, adapter plates, thermal straps, and transport containers
• Design handling GSE that protects sensitive optical surfaces, coatings, and precision interfaces during all phases of production and test
• Maintain a GSE inventory, configuration control, and calibration/maintenance schedule for all production tooling and equipment
• DFM/DFA & Process Engineering
• Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) reviews with the optical, mechanical, and systems design teams - providing actionable feedback to improve manufacturability, reduce cycle time, and minimize assembly risk
• Author and maintain manufacturing process plans, routers, travelers, and detailed work instructions for all optical telescope assembly and integration operations
• Develop and implement poka-yoke (error-proofing) strategies to minimize operator-dependent variation in precision assembly steps
• Define and optimize assembly sequences to minimize handling of sensitive optical components and reduce contamination risk
• Production Support & Quality
• Implement and monitor Statistical Process Control (SPC) for critical manufacturing parameters, tracking process capability indices (Cpk) against defined targets
• Support Measurement System Analysis (MSA) and Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility (GR&R) campaigns to validate measurement systems used in production
• Lead or contribute to Process FMEA activities, identifying and mitigating manufacturing risks before production release
• Support Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) and First Article Inspection (FAI) activities
• Conduct root-cause investigations and corrective actions (RCCA) for tooling-related nonconformances, yield issues, or production escapes
• Ensure all tooling, GSE, and processes comply with AS9100, company quality standards, and applicable NASA/DoD workmanship requirements
• Rapid Prototyping & Continuous Improvement
• Lead rapid prototyping of tooling and fixtures - leveraging 3D printing, quick-turn mac

Benefits

Additional Information

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! - The TeraWave program is developing next-generation optical telescopes for space-based laser communication terminals (lasercom) operating in medium Earth orbit (MEO). These precision optical systems enable high-throughput data relay at rates exceeding 100 Gbps - forming the backbone of future space communication architectures. Our telescopes must meet fast paced requirements for wavefront error (WFE), line-of-sight (LOS) stability, and pointing accuracy while surviving launch loads and the orbital thermal environment. We are scaling from prototype to production-rate manufacturing of flight-qualified optical telescope assemblies - and we need a Manufacturing Engineer who can own the tooling, fixtures, and ground support equipment that make that production line possible. Special Mentions: Travel expectations: Up to 20% (supplier sites, test facilities, launch integration)

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