Optical Design/ Coating Engineer

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 National Security (BNS), where our focus is the design, development, and delivery of launch and spacecraft systems for national security missions. Through Blue Ring, our all-in-one, high-powered hybrid solar-electric and chemical-propelled spacecraft, we provide unmatched mission maneuverability, versatility, and capacity at dramatically lower-profile costs. Position Summary Blue Origin is seeking a detail-oriented Optical Design/ Coating Engineer to design, develop, and optimize advanced optics/ coatings supporting our next-generation space vehicles, sensors, and optical payloads. In this role, you will bridge theoretical optical design with hands-on optics and coating manufacturing, delivering high-performance coatings—including anti-reflective (AR), high-reflective (HR), and custom spectral filters—for mission-critical components such as star trackers, LIDAR systems, laser communication terminals, spacecraft windows, and onboard imaging systems. You'll collaborate closely with R&D, systems engineering, manufacturing technicians, and quality assurance teams to create robust, flight-qualified optical components capable of surviving the extreme thermal, vacuum, and radiation environments of space. This is a unique opportunity to apply your optical coating expertise to hardware that will fly on orbital and suborbital missions, contributing directly to humanity's expansion beyond Earth. Key Responsibilities Optical Design & Modeling: Design and modeling optics with multi-layer thin-film coating stacks using industry-standard simulation software (e.g., Essential Macleod, FilmStar) to meet stringent spectral, thermal, and space-environment durability requirements for flight hardware. Process Development: Develop, scale, and optimize physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes—including electron-beam (e-beam) evaporation, ion-assisted deposition (IAD), and ion beam sputtering (IBS)—in high-vacuum chambers to produce coatings capable of withstanding launch vibration, thermal cycling, and orbital radiation exposure. Space-Environment Qualification: Support environmental testing protocols (thermal vacuum, vibration, outgassing per ASTM E595) to ensure coatings meet aerospace-grade reliability and NASA/DoD material outgassing standards. Metrology & Characterization: Test and analyze spectral performance using spectrophotometers, ellipsometers, and interferometers to verify transmission, reflection, absorption, and laser damage threshold (LDT) specifications for high-power laser communication systems. Troubleshooting & Yield Improvement: Diagnose root causes of coating defects, spectral shift, or adhesion failures using data-driven methods (Statistical Process Control, DOE, Six Sigma) to support high-reliability, low-defect production for flight-critical hardware. Production Transfer & Documentation: Transition successful prototypes into full-scale manufacturing, authoring clear standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and training documentation compliant with aerospace quality systems (AS9100). Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with systems engineers, mechanical designers, and mission assurance teams to integrate optical components into avionics, sensor suites, and payload systems supporting New Glenn, New Shepard, and Blue Moon programs. Supplier & Vendor Coordination: Support supplier qualification and incoming inspection criteria for outsourced coating processes when applicable. Required Qualifications Education: Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field. Experience: 7+ years of hands-on experience in optical design, coatings, and optical metrology (aerospace or defense industry experience strongly preferred). Technical Skills: Proficiency in thin-film design software (FilmStar, Essential Macleod, or similar). Deep understanding of high-vacuum systems, thin-film growth mechanics, and material properties (oxides, fluorides, metals) relevant to space-qualified optics. Experience with optical characterization tools (spectrophotometers, white-light interferometers, ellipsometers). Familiarity with environmental durability testing (humidity, abrasion, thermal shock, adhesion per MIL-C-48497 or similar standards). Soft Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary, fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional technical collaboration. Other: Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. Must be able to work onsite in a cleanroom/manufacturing environment. Preferred Qualifications Experience designing coatings for space-flight hardware, satellite optics, or high-power laser systems. Familiarity with laser damage threshold (LDT) testing for high-energy laser communication or directed energy applications. Experience with automated coating platforms and chamber hardware customization. Knowledge of AS9100/ISO 9001 quality standards and statistical process control (SPC) implementation. Background in radiation-hardened or radiation-tolerant optical materials. Experience with outgassing testing (ASTM E595) and materials selection for vacuum environments.   Base Pay Range for: CO applicants is $144,179.00 - $201,849.90 Other site ranges may differ Culture Statement Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to