Senior Estimator - Top Secret/SCI required

Blue Origin; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 114,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a senior cost estimator to develop and deliver estimates and price volumes for complex government contracts in aerospace and defense. You will interpret FFP/Cost proposals and prepare BOEs with transparent assumptions, supporting IR&D and multi-project estimating efforts.

Responsibilities include collaborating with capture, technical, program, supply chain, and finance teams from RFP through award, building estimating models, and mentoring junior staff.

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret clearance required.
• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years cost estimating or proposal pricing experience in aerospace/defense.
• Experience writing Basis of Estimate (BOE) narratives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver cost estimates and price volumes.
• Write clear, defensible BOEs documenting approaches and rationale.
• Develop estimates for IR&D efforts and manage multiple estimating efforts.
• Coordinate with proposal teams from RFP release through award.

Skills

Active Top Secret clearance

BOE writing

Cost estimating experience

RFP/SOW interpretation

Analytical communication

Excel modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, engineering, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PRICE/SEER (preferred)

Job description

What You’ll Do:

Develop and deliver estimates

• Build, review, and present cost estimates and price volumes that comply with internal policies and external requirements (FAR, DFARS, NFS, CAS, and customer-specific RFP instructions)
• Write clear, defensible Basis of Estimate (BOE) narratives that document estimating approaches, assumptions, and rationale
• Develop estimates for Internal Research & Development (IR&D) efforts
• Manage multiple estimating efforts at once, across varying levels of scope definition, complexity, and dollar value

Support the proposal lifecycle

Partner with capture, technical, program, supply chain, and finance teams from RFP release through submission, negotiation, and award

• Interpret RFPs, SOWs, and customer cost documents, and translate them into estimating plans and data requests
• Contribute to pricing strategy, should-cost analysis, and risk and opportunity assessments
• Support commercial and government customers across Blue Origin's product lines: liquid rocket propulsion, suborbital launch, orbital launch, lunar landing services, and in-space applications

Build the function

Identify and lead improvements to estimating tools, templates, data, and processes

• Help build and maintain estimating models, rate structures, and historical databases
• Mentor and develop less-experienced estimators and pricing analysts

What You Bring:

Required

• Active Top Secret clearance
• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, engineering, or a related field
• 10+ of cost estimating or proposal pricing experience in aerospace, defense, or another complex government contracting environment
• Working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, NFS, CAS, and TINA, and of preparing compliant cost or price volumes
• Experience writing BOEs and developing bottoms-up, parametric, and analogous estimates
• Ability to read and interpret RFPs, SOWs, and cost-related customer documents
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including building and interpreting complex, multi-tab models
• Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain and defend an estimate to technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to build trusted relationships across disciplines and contribute to an inclusive team culture

Preferred

• Experience in aerospace, launch vehicle, spacecraft, or propulsion programs
• Experience with parametric estimating tools (e.g., PRICE, SEER) and pricing or ERP systems (e.g., Deltek, SAP, Oracle)
• Experience building estimating, pricing, or cost management models
• Familiarity with NASA, Space Force, or other national security space procurements
• APMP, ICEAA (CCEA/CEBP), or similar certification
• Experience mentoring others or leading process improvement initiatives

What Makes You a Great Fit:

• You're energized by Blue Origin's mission and by pricing work that supports human spaceflight and lunar exploration
• You like being the bridge between engineering reality and a competitive, compliant price
• You're comfortable with ambiguity and enjoy making incomplete data into a defensible estimate
• You hold yourself to a high standard of quality and accuracy under tight proposal deadlines
• You want to help shape how a growing company estimates and prices its work
• You understand the requirements and dynamics of working classified programs.

Base Pay Range for:

CO applicants is $114,455.00 - $160,236.30WA applicants is $124,476.00 - $174,265.35

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

• Benefits include: 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.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin's Affimative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.