Director, Flight Software Engineering — Blue Ring

Blue Origin LLC; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 222,000 - 310,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Blue Origin in Denver is seeking a Director of Software Engineering for Blue Ring Flight Software to lead embedded, real-time systems development for spaceflight applications. You will own the software architecture, technology strategy, and delivery roadmap across multiple teams to ensure mission success.

The role requires 12+ years in software engineering and 5+ years leading engineering organizations, with strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including embedded, real-time, or mission-critical systems development (e.g., C/C++).
• 5+ years of experience leading software engineering teams, including direct management of engineering managers or leads.
• Demonstrated experience owning software architecture, technical strategy, and delivery for complex embedded systems programs.
• Experience with software verification and validation practices, including requirements traceability, unit/integration testing, and qualification processes.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional programs, balance competing priorities, and deliver against schedule and budget constraints.
• Strong communication skills, with experience presenting technical status and decisions to senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead, hire, and develop a multi-team organization of flight software engineers and engineering managers delivering embedded software for the Blue Ring spacecraft product line.
• Own the technical strategy, architecture direction, and delivery roadmap for Blue Ring flight software, ensuring alignment with mission requirements and program schedules.
• Partner with Systems Engineering, Avionics, GNC, and Mission Operations teams to define requirements, establish interfaces, and drive end-to-end software integration.
• Establish and champion rigorous software development, verification, and validation practices for real-time, embedded, mission-critical systems.
• Drive continuous improvement in software quality, reliability, and development velocity across the flight software organization.
• Set clear, prioritized goals for engineering managers and hold teams accountable to technical excellence, schedule commitments, and quality standards.
• Represent flight software in program-level reviews, technical baseline decisions, and cross-functional trade studies.
• Mentor and grow engineering managers and senior technical staff, building bench strength and succession depth within the organization.
• Manage staffing plans, budget, and resource allocation across flight software teams to meet program needs.
• Identify and remove roadblocks, elevate risks proactively, and ensure teams have the tools and support needed to deliver.

Skills

Embedded software

Leadership

Software architecture

Verification & Validation

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Master's degree in CS/EE

Job description

Blue Origin in Denver is seeking a Director of Software Engineering for Blue Ring Flight Software to lead embedded, real-time systems development for spaceflight applications. You will own the software architecture, technology strategy, and delivery roadmap across multiple teams to ensure mission success.

The role requires 12+ years in software engineering and 5+ years leading engineering organizations, with strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.