Machine Shop Shift Leader - C Shift

Blue Origin; United States; On-site; USD 125,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Life insurance

401(k) with company match

Education Support Program

Stock options for regular employees

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a senior machine shop leader to oversee day-to-day operations, drive continuous improvement, and ensure on-time delivery of high-value aerospace components. You will manage staff, mentor engineers, and coordinate with manufacturing and design teams to optimize processes in a safety-focused environment.

This role requires extensive machining experience, strong leadership, and hands-on expertise with precision tooling and CAD/CAM workflows to support flight-critical hardware

Qualifications

• 7 years minimum experience in machining aerospace components.
• Root cause and corrective action analysis experience.
• Familiarity with KPI metrics.
• Excellent blueprint reading skills including GD&T per ASME Y14.5M-1994 standard.
• Strong communication with a heavy customer focus.
• Must be a U.S. citizen/national or lawful resident.

Responsibilities

• Ownership of machine shop personnel and day-to-day operations.
• Conduct performance reviews.
• Establish work station assignments and training; manage overtime/bacro for absent staff.
• Maintain machine shop schedule to meet customer expectations.
• Provide first level HR escalation support (employee relations, time cards, PTO).
• Identify CI opportunities and implement changes to reduce cycle/setup times.
• Maintain calibration and 5S, Lean, Cleaning and Safety programs.

Skills

Leadership

Machining aerospace components

GD&T

Blueprint reading

KPI metrics

Communication

Continuous improvement

CAD/CAM tools

Tools

CAD/CAM tools

CMM programming/operation

Job description

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. Description: We are a mission-driven team of collaborators, action-takers and problem solvers relentlessly committed to a culture of safety and success. Working as an integral part of a passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will directly impact the future of space flight and ensure the progression of building the road to space through reusable rockets. Through dedication and leadership, your influence will help guide your team to define the future of space flight production. In coordinating all aspects of machining flight vehicle components, you will support various spaceflight systems in the production of parts with high-value, tight tolerance and impeccable quality: driving towards on time delivery and first article success. This position will directly influence the history of space exploration and will require your unwavering commitment and unfaltering focus towards safe and repeatable spaceflight.

Responsibilities

• Ownership of machine shop personnel and day-to-day operations
• Conduct performance reviews
• Responsible for establishing work station assignments, employee training, overtime assignments and back-up for absent employees
• Maintain and communicate machine shop schedule status to ensure meeting customer expectations
• Provide first level escalation support to employees regarding HR issues (employee relations, worker’s compensation, disciplinary actions, time cards, PTO requests)
• Identifying Continuous Improvement opportunities and implementing change to improve process, reduce cycle and setup times
• Maintain shop measuring equipment calibration program ensuring all relative equipment is calibrated according to schedule
• Maintain all shop programs. These programs include 5S, Lean, Cleaning and Safety
• Ensure all team members follow work instructions, quality requirements and processes
• Ensure accurate machine shop staff data recording. Namely clock-in/clock-out activities
• Provide continued training and skills development for team members, and mentor early career team member
• Ensure start-up readiness for production
• Maintain machine shop organization, safety and cleanliness
• Support design for manufacturing and provide job planning estimates
• Ability to perform interviews, evaluate talent and provide hiring recommendations
• Safely work within an industrial environment

Qualifications

• 4 years minimum of leadership experience
• 7 years minimum experience in machining aerospace components
• Root cause and corrective action analysis experience
• Familiarity with KPI metrics
• Excellent blue print reading skills including GD&T per ASME Y14.5M-1994 standard
• Strong communication skills with a heavy customer focus
• Must have a continuous improvement mindset
• Clear understanding of production versus development environments
• Fluent in use of precision hand tools
• Familiar with use of personal computers
• Self-motivation and ability to prioritize projects to meet completion dates
• 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 Experience machining nickel-based stainless steel alloys, copper, titanium
• Tooling and fixture design
• 5S, Lean Manufacturing or Kaizen experience
• Knowledge of CAD/CAM tools
• Experience operating heavy lifting equipment such as cranes and forklifts around flight critical hardware
• Knowledge and understanding of CMM programming/operation
• Outside processing knowledge (heat treat, plating, coating, EDM, grinding, etc.)
• Experience machining tight tolerance, high value components

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.

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%
• 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.

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

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.Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’sAffirmative 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!

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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