Manager, System Prototyping Rapid Development

BLUE ORIGIN•West Melbourne, FL

6d•Onsite

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 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. Team Overview The System Prototyping team is a hands-on fabrication and development group responsible for building mechanical prototypes, composite structures, and soft goods in support of early-stage design and program development. The team partners closely with internal engineering customers to translate concepts into physical hardware quickly and with high quality. Role Summary We are seeking an experienced people manager to lead a small team of technicians in day-to-day prototyping operations. This role is both operational and relational — the right candidate will be equally comfortable managing workflow on the shop floor, communicating with internal customers, and handling the administrative responsibilities of running a skilled fabrication team.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in a hands-on fabrication, manufacturing, or prototyping environment
2+ years of direct people management or team lead experience
Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following: mechanical prototyping, composite fabrication, soft goods manufacturing
Strong organizational and workload management skills
Excellent communication skills — ability to interface effectively with both shop floor technicians and engineering stakeholders
Experience with material/tooling procurement and vendor coordination

Nice To Haves

Experience managing in an aerospace, defense, or R&D prototyping environment
Familiarity with composites processing (layup, cure, finishing) and/or soft goods techniques (pattern making, sewing, assembly)
Experience using shop management or work order tracking tools
Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a related technical field (or equivalent experience)

Responsibilities

Assign and prioritize daily/weekly work across 9 technicians based on customer demand and team capacity
Conduct yearly performance reviews and ongoing feedback/coaching
Support team development, training, and skill-building in prototyping disciplines
Foster a safe, collaborative, and high-performing shop culture
Serve as the primary point of contact for internal engineering customers
Translating customer requirements into actionable work assignments
Provide status updates, manage expectations, and escalate schedule or technical conflicts as needed
Collaborate with customers to scope new prototyping requests and define deliverables
Manage material and tooling procurement to support active and upcoming builds
Maintain shop readiness including inventory, equipment availability, and consumables
Track and manage budget associated with materials and tooling purchases
Identify and resolve day-to-day operational blockers