Director - Manufacturing, Ops & Assembly Electric Propulsion

Blue Origin LLC; Town of Texas (WI); Hybrid; USD 203,000 - 284,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Education Support Program

Stock Options

Paid Time Off & holidays

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Director to own the manufacturing outcome for its electric propulsion thruster line, leading rate production with authority over the entire in-program flow. You will define value streams, stand up manufacturing engineering, and hire the leadership beneath you as the program scales.

The role requires taking development builds into sustained production, managing tooling, processes, and work instructions to achieve repeatable rate production, while driving producibility

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a technical discipline is required.
• 12+ years in manufacturing/production/supply chain/operations with 5+ years leading manufacturing teams.
• Experience taking a new product or line from development into rate production.
• Proven ability to carry a product through production-readiness or rate-readiness gates.
• Experience building and scaling a manufacturing organization with leaders.
• Willingness to travel up to 35% to other Blue Origin sites.
• U.S. citizen or eligible for work in the U.S. at time of hire.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, roadmap, and priorities for manufacturing outcomes of the electric propulsion thruster line.
• Build the production organization and define value streams with manufacturing engineering.
• Hire and develop leadership beneath you as the program scales.
• Own the get-to-rate plan and transition from development to rate production.
• Define tooling, processes, and work instructions for repeatable rate production.
• Drive producibility into the product during design.
• Own the manufacturing view of the bill of materials as the product evolves.
• Interface with quality, supply chain, material planning, and test operations.
• Manage the program's operating budget and capital plan; deliver at cost and rate.
• Set and sustain safety and quality culture for the new production team.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing

Operations

Travel up to 35%

US work eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Lean manufacturing

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 Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities. We are a 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 require your commitment and detailed attention toward 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. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required! Blue Origin is scaling production of its electric propulsion systems. We are hiring a Director to own the manufacturing outcome for that product line and to carry it from development hardware into rate production. You will be the single-threaded leader for Operations of this program: one person accountable for rate, quality, cost, and people, with full authority over the entire in-program production flow. This is a build-it role, not a run-it role. You will define the value streams, stand up integration with support organizations, and build the team that runs the line — working concurrently with an active design program rather than behind a frozen one.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, roadmap, and priorities for successful manufacturing outcomes of the electric propulsion thruster line — delivery rate, quality, cost, and the people who produce it.
• Build the production organization.
• Define the value streams, stand up production control and manufacturing engineering, and hire and develop the leadership beneath you as the program scales.
• Own the get-to-rate plan.
• Define the path from development build to sustained rate production, and demonstrate cycle time at the rate-readiness gate as a committed acceptance number rather than a projection.
• Lead the transition from development build into rate production, including the qualification of tooling, processes, and work instructions required to produce repeatably at rate.
• Drive producibility into the product during design, rather than absorbing it on the floor later.
• Own the manufacturing view of the bill of materials as the product configuration evolves.
• Establish and own the program's working interfaces with quality, supply chain, material planning, and test operations.
• Build and manage the program's manufacturing operating budget and capital plan, owning responsibility for product delivery at cost and rate.
• Set the safety and quality culture for a new production team, and hold it as the organization grows.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or technical discipline.
• 12+ years of experience in manufacturing, production, supply chain, or operations, including 5+ years leading manufacturing organizations.
• Direct, hands‑on experience taking a new product or production line from development into rate production.
• Experience carrying a product through a production‑readiness or rate‑readiness gate, and owning the cycle‑time and capability evidence presented at it.
• Experience building an organization — defining structure, hiring leaders, and developing a team through significant growth.
• Line management of both salaried professionals and craft or technician populations.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in ambiguity: making defensible assumptions and moving forward on an incomplete definition, then correcting as information arrives.
• Ability to travel frequently, up to approximately 35%, to other Blue Origin sites.
• 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

• 15+ years of manufacturing and operations experience.
• Propulsion, spacecraft, satellite, or other high‑reliability low‑volume hardware experience.
• Experience transitioning a product from low‑volume, high‑mix build into repeatable rate production.
• Demonstrated cycle‑time or throughput improvement with measured results.
• Experience standing up production at a new or greenfield manufacturing site.
• Experience managing a build against a bill of materials that changed materially during production ramp.
• Formal lean or continuous‑improvement training, with applied results on a production line.
• Master's degree in engineering or technical field, or MBA.

Base Pay Range

Base Pay Range for: WA applicants is $203,165.00 - $284,430.30 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 (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training. Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre‑employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical.

Benefits

• 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.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company‑paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.
• Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

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 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. 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, sex, 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 “Know Your Rights,” please see here. Affine Action Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affine Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request. We’re committed to building the road to space so our children can build the future. We are a mission-driven company focused on ideas and innovation, and encourage fresh perspectives from bold voices. At Blue, our team is building the future as their unique selves. Thank you for your interest in working at Blue Origin!

About Blue Origin

Blue Origin was founded with a vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue Origin believes it has an important role in building a road to space and lowering the cost of getting there. At Blue Origin, we’re working on this today by developing fully reusable launch vehicles and systems that are safe, reliable and affordable. Every launch vehicle is designed for human spaceflight from the beginning and able to ferry payloads to space.

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