Sr Director, Launch Vehicles

BLUE ORIGIN•West Melbourne, FL

About The Position

Blue Origin is seeking a Senior Director for Launch Vehicles within Blue Origin Operations, which includes Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. The role provides technical strategy, operational execution, and organizational leadership for preparing New Glenn boosters, second stages, and payloads for launch. It leads teams responsible for refurbishing and inspecting flown boosters, integrating boosters and second stages, attaching and preparing payloads, and establishing vertical vehicle integration capability for a larger next-generation vehicle. The role builds on lessons from current horizontal integration operations and reports to the Vice President of Launch Operations. This mission-critical leadership position is accountable for building the people, processes, and discipline needed to achieve fast, repeatable vehicle-preparation operations. The leader is expected to combine detailed, quantitative oversight with hands-on involvement in solving vehicle problems when required, including outside normal hours. Success includes improving turnaround time, refurbishment capacity, and launch readiness as Blue Origin increases launch cadence.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Industrial Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience building and leading complex vehicle or aircraft programs.
At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience building, integrating, or maintaining complex vehicles, aircraft, or other high-reliability systems in aerospace, defense, marine, oil and gas, or similar heavy or complex-machine environments.
Senior leadership experience with budget and resource management responsibility for technical or operational organizations.
Experience managing large multidisciplinary teams, including leadership through subordinate managers or directors.
Demonstrated record of measurable rate or throughput improvements in a complex manufacturing, assembly, or operations environment.
Demonstrated record of establishing and maintaining a high-standard safety culture in environments with significant personnel, process, or material hazards.
Ability to make high-stakes technical and operational decisions under schedule pressure.
Strong executive presence and excellent written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, including senior executive leadership.
Strategic thinking, bias for action, and a record of hands-on operational execution.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience in final assembly, integration, or maintenance of military or civilian aircraft, weapons systems, or launch vehicles.
Full lifecycle experience in vehicle assembly, integration, test, or manufacturing, from requirements through production.
Record of taking a new vehicle, aircraft, or complex product from first-unit production to rate production.
Hands-on experience as an aircraft mechanic or similar trade, and/or as a manufacturing engineer.
Working knowledge of aerospace standards and workmanship requirements.
Record of challenging engineering requirements and successfully driving design changes to improve manufacturability or maintainability.
Experience building or scaling an engineering or technical organization from a nascent, dependent state to self-sufficiency.
Master's degree in a related engineering field or an MBA.

Responsibilities

Own the technical strategy and standards for refurbishing, integrating, and preparing all New Glenn vehicles, including boosters, second stages, and payloads.
Develop the roadmap for vertical vehicle integration capability for Blue Origin's larger next-generation vehicle.
Set and enforce standards for clear, sequenced, measurable, and shift-completable work orders so launch readiness is based on objective data.
Partner with vehicle design and engineering teams to challenge requirements and drive design changes that improve buildability, inspectability, and refurbishment.
Oversee inspection, refurbishment, and re-certification of flown boosters; booster and second-stage integration; and payload attachment to the stacked vehicle.
Provide technical and operational authority across booster refurbishment, vehicle integration, payload attachment, and vertical integration functions.
Manage technical and schedule risk across the vehicle-preparation portfolio and personally own recovery plans when schedules slip.
Maintain a high-standard safety culture across vehicle-preparation work.
Work directly with engineers and technicians on vehicles to solve problems when mission needs require it.
Act as the primary point of contact between vehicle-preparation functions and New Glenn design and engineering, pad, and recovery leadership.
Partner with business operations, including scheduling and operations analytics, to maintain an objective, data-driven view of remaining work and schedule risk.
Build internal engineering ownership and judgment, reducing reliance on engineering support from other Blue Origin programs.
Build, mentor, and develop leaders and engineers capable of supporting a substantially higher vehicle-preparation rate.
Mature difficult or immature processes into fast, repeatable operations that do not depend on nightly heroics.
Foster a culture in which technicians and engineers understand and are engaged with Blue Origin's mission.
Champion AI use to reduce engineering workload, including work-order authoring, and accelerate development of less experienced engineers.
Use data and numerical analysis to assess team performance, guide decisions, and communicate progress.
Present vehicle readiness, risk, and recovery plans clearly to senior executive leadership, including with little or no coaching.
Drive measurable improvements in vehicle turnaround time, refurbishment capacity, and launch readiness.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability
401(k) with company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week
Up to four weeks of paid time off per year based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays
Some employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on role type, job level, individual contributions, company results, or other factors