Senior Director, Launch Vehicles — Strategy & Operations

Blue Origin; Merritt Island (FL); On-site; USD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Stock options

Education support program

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Director for Launch Vehicles to own the technical strategy, oversee full lifecycle execution, and lead a high-performing organization responsible for refurbishing, integrating, and preparing New Glenn boosters, second stages, and payloads for launch.

You will work across design, pad, and recovery leadership, drive cross-functional integration, and push for improvements in throughput, safety, and launch cadence while mentoring future leaders and leveraging AI to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Industrial Engineering or equivalent practical experience building and leading complex vehicle or aircraft programs
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience building, integrating, or maintaining complex vehicles, aircraft, or other high-reliability systems
• Senior leadership experience with budget and resource management responsibility for technical/operational organizations
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams at scale, including leadership through subordinate managers/directors
• A track record of driving measurable rate or throughput improvements in a complex manufacturing, assembly, or operations environment
• A demonstrated track record of building and perpetuating a high-standard safety culture in environments with significant hazards
• Demonstrated ability to make high-stakes technical and operational decisions under schedule pressure
• Strong executive presence with excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
• Strategic thinker with a bias for action and a track record of hands-on operational execution

Responsibilities

• Own the technical strategy for refurbishing, integrating, and preparing all New Glenn vehicles (booster, second stage, and payload) for launch
• Architect the roadmap for a new vertical vehicle integration capability to support Blue Origin's larger next-generation vehicle
• Set and enforce the standard for high-quality, executable work orders (clear, sequenced, measurable, and completable by shift) so launch readiness is derived from objective data
• Partner with vehicle design and engineering teams to challenge requirements and drive design changes that make the vehicle easier, faster, and safer to build, inspect, and refurbish
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of vehicle preparation: inspection, refurbishment, and re-certification of flown boosters; integration of booster and second stage; and attachment of payloads to the stacked vehicle
• Provide technical and operational authority across booster refurbishment, vehicle integration, payload attachment, and vertical integration functions, ensuring rigor and consistency across all of them
• Manage technical and schedule risk across the vehicle preparation portfolio; when schedule slips, personally own and drive the recovery plan rather than simply reporting the slip
• Perpetuate a high-standard safety culture across all vehicle preparation work
• Be willing to get on the ground with engineers and technicians to solve problems directly on the vehicle, at any hour, when the mission requires it
• Serve as the primary point of contact between vehicle preparation functions and New Glenn vehicle design/engineering, pad, and recovery leadership
• Partner with the business operations function to maintain an objective, data-driven view of remaining work and schedule risk
• Build the organization's own engineering ownership and judgment over time, reducing reliance on borrowed engineering support from other Blue Origin programs
• Build, mentor, and develop a bench of leaders and engineers capable of running vehicle preparation at a much higher rate
• Take difficult, immature processes and mature them into fast, repeatable operations that don't require nightly heroics
• Foster a culture where every technician and engineer is excited about Blue Origin's mission and understands the 'why' behind the work
• Champion the use of AI to reduce engineering workload and accelerate ramp of less experienced engineers
• Use your own data and numerical analysis to understand team performance, drive decisions, and communicate progress
• Present vehicle readiness, risk, and recovery plans with senior leadership with clarity and confidence
• Drive measurable improvement in vehicle turnaround time, refurbishment capacity, and launch readiness

Job description

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Director for Launch Vehicles to own the technical strategy, oversee full lifecycle execution, and lead a high-performing organization responsible for refurbishing, integrating, and preparing New Glenn boosters, second stages, and payloads for launch.

You will work across design, pad, and recovery leadership, drive cross-functional integration, and push for improvements in throughput, safety, and launch cadence while mentoring future leaders and leveraging AI to