Director, Avionics Software Development

Blue Origin; Washington; On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a senior leader to head a software team responsible for avionics controllers across New Glenn, Lunar, and Engines programs. You will drive delivery, manage risks, and ensure cost-effective, high-quality software products from development through qualification and production.

You will oversee hiring, coaching, and performance management to foster a high-performing, compliant, inclusive team culture in a fast-paced spaceflight environment.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading teams to deliver complex safety-critical embedded software.
• Degree requirement: B.S. in Engineering or equivalent with demonstration of leadership experience.
• 10+ years in relevant engineering fields; experience in avionics/embedded software development and maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team developing software for avionics controllers across multiple programs.
• Manage project execution, risk mitigation, and communication with leadership.
• Oversee personnel lifecycle: hiring, development, performance management, and culture.

Skills

Team leadership

Project management

Avionics software

Embedded systems

Safety-critical software

HR/process adherence

Education

B.S. in Engineering or technical field

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 the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight.

This role will lead a team developing software for multiple avionics controllers used across New Glenn, Lunar, and Engines Business Units. You will manage project execution, ensuring scrappy and cost-effective solutions, while maintaining a tight grip on all project deliverables needed to meet program objectives. Identifying and mitigating risks are critical tasks, and you'll need to effectively communicate these to program and business leadership when the appropriate solutions are beyond your immediate control.

You will be responsible for the people management aspect of your team, covering the full employee life cycle from hiring and development to stringent & thoughtful performance management. Hiring the right talent, fostering their growth, and ensuring they are well-coached is essential for maintaining a high-functioning team. You'll be actively engaged in creating a positive and productive team culture that adheres to all required HR processes and policies.

Responsibilities:

• Product Delivery: Manage your project scope by ensuring scrappy and cost-effective execution for customers while maintaining a tight grip on the project deliverables needed to meet program objectives.
• Establish common software architecture and manage product roadmaps for each program's software product.
• Identify and manage technical and programmatic risks/opportunities. This includes technical, scope (i.e., cost and schedule), asset and safety risks and opportunities specific to program and project execution. Risk management includes identifying, documenting, communicating, developing mitigation plans and collaborating with your peers & program leaders to drive outcomes to program acceptable levels.
• Coordinate and partner with Enterprise functions such as Software Quality Assurance, Safety and Mission Assurance, and Enterprise Technology to drive product development/maintenance cost/cycle time and meet delivery objectives.
• Track and manage your team execution, and both unit product life cycle cost.
• Create the framework used to develop and drive collection of project data and use this data to inform & monitor key project metrics.
• Partner with other Business Units and centralized Blue software teams on driving software and software tool commonality and efficiency.
• Technical Leadership: Develop and oversee the technical plan, ensuring it aligns to both negotiated customer requirements and internal design criteria.
• Own the overall lifecycle of all avionics software products from development through qualification/ rate production and successful cost-optimized commercial flight operations.
• Manage interdisciplinary engineering tasks for overall system success.
• Ensure the quality of engineering outputs, providing technical direction and guidance to the team.
• Support requirement decomposition and allocation, systems engineering, technical design, analysis, and verification/validation - including strong management and bi-directional alignment of interfaces between customers and project technical efforts.
• Functional Management: Oversee the full lifecycle of your employees including talent acquisition, employee development, and when needed, performance management.
• Foster an environment of continuous growth and learning, ensuring compliance with HR processes and policies.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Proven track record of leading and managing teams to deliver complex safety critical embedded software products.
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Engineering or technical field, or in lieu of a technical degree, must show significant demonstrated experience leading teams designing/ developing complex engineered products.
• 10+ years of experience in a relevant engineering field, with significant experience in avionics and/or embedded software product development and maintenance.
• 5+ years of project management and/or management experience.
• 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:

• Experience with Agile, IMP-level scheduling, risk management, configuration management, requirements management processes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and drive continuous improvement.
• Famil