Director of Avionics, Lunar Core Components

Blue Origin • Phoenix, WA

51d • $206,673 - $305,567

About The Position

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 the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. To further Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface. At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We are developing 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 the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. To further our mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure to transport crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface and to support long‑duration presence on the Moon. As the Director of Avionics, Lunar Core Components , you will lead a large organization of engineers and technical staff responsible for the design, development, verification, and production of critical, common avionics hardware systems used across the Lunar Permanence portfolio. Your portfolio spans multiple product groups, including Command and Data Handling, Navigation Sensors, Power Generation and Distribution, and Energy Storage systems. You will drive multiple concurrent development campaigns from concept through production, establishing hardware development practices that balance operational excellence with appropriate risk‑taking to deliver on aggressive schedules. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and attention to safe and reliable spaceflight.

Requirements

• Experience with the full hardware development lifecycle across one or more space missions, including transition to production and support to flight operations.
• 10+ years managing technical teams and/or leading functional groups, with responsibility for leading, coaching, and developing employees.
• Demonstrated experience effectively managing large engineering organizations, including fostering a culture of action, accountability, coaching, and development within hardware organizations.
• Deep technical knowledge of spacecraft avionics hardware systems, including C&DH, Electrical Power Systems (EPS), and GNC‑related avionics .
• Strong program management experience, including budget development and management, integrated master scheduling, and portfolio management.
• Demonstrated ability to make risk‑informed decisions in dynamic development environments.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of integrity, safety, and operational excellence.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to lead and influence across organizations.
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or another relevant technical field.

Nice To Haves

• Experience leading organizations of 100+ people across multiple product lines or programs.
• Experience with human spaceflight avionics systems and associated safety analysis and certification requirements.
• Direct experience in multiple avionics domains (e.g., C&DH, GNC sensors, power electronics, battery systems).
• Experience managing transition from development to production, including implementation of DFM/DFT and production test strategies.
• Knowledge of radiation‑hardened or radiation‑tolerant electronics design and qualification.
• Experience with supplier management and procurement strategies for complex avionics and power systems.
• Experience implementing agile or iterative development approaches for hardware programs.
• Experience working within integrated product team structures and providing cross‑functional leadership.
• Experience managing large capital equipment purchases and facility buildouts (labs, test equipment, production infrastructure).
• Track record of delivering hardware programs on aggressive schedules while managing technical, cost, and schedule risk.

Responsibilities

• Lead the people and culture of the Lunar Core Avionics organization, fostering career development and raising the bar on performance through strategic planning, high‑quality decision-making, collaboration, communication, and trust.
• Lead multiple concurrent avionics hardware development campaigns across Command and Data Handling, Navigation Sensors, Power Generation, and Energy Storage product groups.
• Own and manage a large program portfolio, including budget allocation, integrated schedule development, staffing plans, and resource prioritization across all avionics development activities.
• Drive hardware development from concept through production, including architecture, detailed design, analysis, verification testing, qualification, and transition to production and flight operations.
• Establish and implement streamlined hardware development processes that enable speed while maintaining quality, clearly distinguishing value‑added activities from bureaucracy.
• Make informed, risk-based decisions that balance technical performance, schedule, and cost while ensuring system safety and mission assurance are prioritized.
• Define and control technical requirements, interfaces, and performance specifications for avionics hardware systems and their integration into Lunar vehicles.
• Lead integrated product teams (IPTs) to deliver hardware on schedule and within budget while meeting performance, reliability, and safety requirements.
• Establish verification and validation strategies, including development testing, qualification testing, and acceptance testing approaches for avionics hardware.
• Drive design‑for‑manufacturing (DFM) and design‑for‑testability (DFT) principles throughout the hardware development lifecycle and into production.
• Collaborate with Vehicle Systems Engineering, Integration & Test, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Mission Operations teams to ensure seamless product delivery and support through flight.

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.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees