Senior Director, Propulsion Module

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 the New Shepard program. New Shepard is a reusable suborbital rocket system designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary of space. Through operational reusability, New Shepard supports our mission of lowering the cost of access to space.

We are a diverse team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

As part of a small, passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will be responsible for the development of the next generation Propulsion Module for the New Shepard human spaceflight system. You will provide technical, programmatic and financial leadership and resolution of issues to enable rapid progress.  We put a strong emphasis on hands-on technical ability, as our leaders are directly involved with projects and problem-solving and manage through active engagement with the team.  This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable spaceflight. 

Responsibilities:

• Overall responsibility for design, development, procurement, production, test, and delivery of certified New Shepard Propulsion Modules for human spaceflight operations
• Responsible for the development of the NS4.3 Increment, including delivering qualified designs and production articles on compressed schedules.
• Manage in accordance with the New Shepard Program Management Plan (PMP) and associated Management Operating System (MOS)
• Manage integrated product teams responsible for all vehicle subsystems including structures, mechanical systems, fluids systems, avionics, software, and propulsion
• Development and management of technical baseline, budget and schedule milestones to meet goals allocated from New Shepard Program Manager
• Ownership of program risks and opportunities, including risk mitigation and opportunity realization strategies
• Accountable for technical readiness for System Level Gated Reviews
• Chair Technical and Programmatic Change Control Board for Element
• Partner with engineering functional department and support organization leads to identify and assign staffing to integrated product teams
• Partner with operations and maintenance organization leads to provide engineering support to the operational fleet

Qualifications:

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in aerospace, mechanical, industrial, or manufacturing engineering; physics; or other major requiring engineering or manufacturing core courses
• 12+ years relevant industry experience in engineering, manufacturing, operations or maintenance  
• Experience with design, assembly, operations and maintenance of launch vehicles across a range of launch vehicle subsystems including structures, mechanical systems, fluids systems, avionics, software and propulsion
• Experience with planning, scheduling tools, Basis of Estimate, Work Breakdown Structure, Integrated Master Schedule, Critical Path Analysis, Material Resource Planning, Enterprise Resource Planning, Earned Value Management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to earn trust and build positive, professional and inclusive relationships
• Able to set a high bar while hiring, developing and retaining top talent
• Passionate about space exploration and a future with millions of people living and working in space
• 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.

Desired:

• 15+ years’ experience working on aerospace development programs or production lines 
• Successful experience leading large program with over $50M annual budget over 100 people
• Knowledge of systems engineering practices, fabrication, integration processes, quality and configuration management systems
• Master of Science in a related field or Masters of Business Administration
• Project Management certification (PMP/Certified Project Manager) or Program Management Office (PMO) experience
• Experience with Oracle Primavera P6, DOORS, CREO, Windchill, ITS

 

Compensation Range for:

WA applicants is $246,483.00-$345,076.20

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 jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check

• Required for Certain Job Profiles:  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation

• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification, Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

Benefits

• Benefits include:  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%, and an Education Support Program.

• Paid Time Off:  Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

• Discretionary bonus: Bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results.

• Eligibility for benefits varies by role type, please check with your recruiter for a comprehensive list of the benefits available for this role.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified, diverse, and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork, in which all employees recognize and appreciate the diversity of individual team members. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “EEO Is the Law,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com.

California Applicant Privacy Notice

If you are a California resident, please reference the CA Applicant Privacy Notice here.