Sr Director, Launch Infrastructure

Blue Origin; Merritt Island (FL); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Holidays

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Director of Launch Infrastructure to own the technical strategy and leadership for propellant, cryogenic fluid systems, hydraulics, environmental controls, and pad/tower infrastructure supporting the New Glenn program.

You will drive the scaling from a single active pad to multiple pads, partner with design and operations teams, and lead a high-performing organization to deliver higher launch cadence with a focus on safety and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in complex industrial/launch environments.
• Senior leadership with budget and resource management responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical strategy for launch infrastructure (propellant/cryogenic fluids, hydraulics, water systems, pad and tower).
• Architect the roadmap to scale infrastructure across multiple pads.
• Set and enforce high-quality, executable work orders with measurable outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with vehicle design, operations analytics, and business functions.
• Oversee lifecycle readiness of launch infrastructure, including propulsion, environmental control, and pad operations.
• Provide technical authority across fluid and pad/tower functions and manage schedule risk.
• Foster a safety-first culture and hands-on problem solving when needed.
• Build and mentor a high-performing organization and reduce reliance on external engineering support.
• Drive AI adoption to reduce workload and accelerate ramp of less experienced engineers.
• Present readiness, risk, and recovery plans to senior leadership with clarity.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Executive presence

Safety culture

Data-driven decisions

Problem solving

Communication

Hands-on leadership

Operational execution

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering

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.

New Glenn's launch cadence depends on ground infrastructure that works, every time, under some of the most extreme and hazardous operating conditions in the industry. As Senior Director of Launch Infrastructure, you will own the technical strategy, operational execution, and organizational leadership for the propellant and fluid systems and the pad and tower systems that get New Glenn off the ground. Reporting to the Vice President of Launch Operations, you will lead the functions that manage all propellant and cryogenic fluid systems, environmental control systems, hydraulics, and large-scale water systems, together with the launch pad and tower systems themselves. You will also lead the scale-up of this infrastructure from a single active launch pad today to multiple pads as Blue Origin's launch cadence grows.

This is a mission-critical leadership role for Blue Origin. We need a leader who drives relentlessly toward results, unencumbered by the old way of doing things, and constantly inventing new ways to solve problems and perform our mission. This leader must not be afraid to get hands-on with engineers and technicians on the pad itself when the mission requires it, including in the middle of the night. At the same time, your long-term measure of success is building the people, processes, and discipline that empower the Launch Operations infrastructure teams to operate at a fast, repeatable, "boring" cadence. You'll make the impossible look routine through detailed, quantitative, hands-on command of the work your team executes down to the individual work order.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Own the Technical Strategy for Launch Infrastructure

• Own the technical strategy and standards for all propellant and cryogenic fluid systems, environmental control systems, hydraulics, and water systems, together with the pad and tower systems that support New Glenn launches

• Architect the roadmap for scaling launch infrastructure from a single active pad today to multiple pads as Blue Origin's launch cadence grows, building on the lessons learned from today's pad operations

• Set and enforce the standard for high-quality, executable work orders (clear, sequenced, measurable, and completable by shift) so pad readiness is derived from objective data.

• Partner with facility and vehicle design and engineering teams to challenge requirements and drive design changes that make launch infrastructure easier, faster, and safer to operate and maintain

Lead Full Lifecycle Execution Across Launch Infrastructure

• Oversee the complete lifecycle of launch infrastructure readiness: propellant and cryogenic fluid system operations and maintenance, environmental control and hydraulic systems, and pad and tower system operations and maintenance

• Provide technical and operational authority across fluid systems and pad/tower functions, ensuring rigor and consistency across both

• Manage technical and schedule risk across the launch infrastructure 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 launch infrastructure work, given the significant personnel, process, and material hazards involved

• Be willing to get on the ground with engineers and technicians to solve problems directly on the pad, at any hour, when the mission requires it

Drive Cross-Functional Integration

• Serve as the primary point of contact between launch infrastructure functions and New Glenn vehicle, vehicle preparation, and recovery leadership

• Partner with the business operations function (scheduling and operations analytics) 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 and Lead a High-Performing Organization

• Build, mentor, and develop a bench of leaders and engineers capable of running launch infrastructure at a much higher rate than today, in a fast-growing organization

• Take difficult, immature processes and mature them into fast, repeatable operations that don't require nightly heroics to execute

• Foster a culture where every technician and engineer is genuinely excited about Blue Origin's mission and understands the "why" behind the work

• Champion the use of AI to reduce engineering workload (including work-order authoring) and to accelerate the ramp of less experienced engineers

Deliver Results

• Use your own data and numerical analysis to understand team performance, drive decisions, and communicate progress

• Present infrastructure readiness, risk, and recovery plans with clarity and confidence to Blue Origin's most senior executive leadership, including with little to no coaching

• Drive measurable improvement in pad turnaround time, infrastructure reliability, and launch readiness as Blue Origin ramps toward a much higher launch cadence

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience building and leading complex industrial or facility systems

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience operating or maintaining complex fluid, propellant, or industrial systems - launch pads, large-scale test facilities, oil & gas, refineries, or similar high-hazard industrial environments

• 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 specific, demonstrated track record of driving measurable rate, throughput, or reliability improvements in a complex industrial or operations environment

• A demonstrated track record of building and perpetuating a high-standard safety culture in environments with significant personnel, process, or material hazards - propellants, high pressure, or high voltage

• Demonstrated ability to make high-stakes technical and operational decisions under schedule pressure

• Strong executive presence with excellent written and verbal communication skills; demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, including senior executive leadership

• Strategic thinker with a bias for action and a track record of hands-on operational execution

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience operating high-rate launch pads or large-scale aerospace test facilities

• Strong, hands-on experience and technical knowledge of fluid systems, with particular depth in cryogenics

• Full lifecycle experience in facility or industrial systems - from requirements through design, construction, and operations

• A track record of scaling facility or infrastructure capacity to support significant increases in throughput

• Working knowledge of environmental control systems, hydraulics, and large-scale industrial water systems

• A demonstrated track record of challenging engineering requirements and successfully driving design changes to improve operability or maintainability

• Experience building or scaling an engineering/technical organization from a nascent, dependent state to self-sufficiency

• Master's degree in a related engineering field, or an MBA

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.