Sr Manager of Test Components, Lunar Core Components & Vehicle Subassemblies

BLUE ORIGIN • West Melbourne, FL

1d • $171,093 - $239,529

About The Position

Blue Origin Operations supports manufacturing and supply chain across company facilities and includes Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This role is part of Lunar Manufacturing and Assembly Operations, which builds Blue Origin’s lunar landers and related products.

The Senior Manager of Lunar Core Components & Vehicle Subassemblies Test Operations will build and lead a team of Lunar Operations Test Engineers. The team owns the transition of development, qualification, and acceptance test plans into flight-hardware test execution for lunar lander components and subassemblies. The manager partners with Design Responsible Engineers, Quality, Operations/Production, and other functional teams to deliver integrated, production-ready test solutions. This is a production test engineering leadership role requiring technical problem-solving, systems thinking, and a commitment to mission success and safety.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 6 years of hands-on experience in development, qualification, or acceptance testing of aerospace-grade hardware, including thermal and thermal-fluid components, mechanical systems, and avionics, electrical, or electromechanical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and perform root cause analysis on component- and system-level test faults, and drive corrective actions into manufacturing workmanship and engineering design.
• Proven ability to build, motivate, and retain a high-performing test engineering team with a collaborative, results-oriented culture.
• Proven ability to foster safety, open communication, accountability, and continuous improvement in a technical or laboratory setting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities, communicate across organizational boundaries, and represent the team to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
• Passion for the mission of millions of people living and working in space.

Nice To Haves

• At least 3 years of people-management experience leading a team of 5 or more direct reports, with responsibility for the full employee lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, daily management, career development, performance management, and terminations.
• Experience with flight hardware or aerospace testing in a manufacturing production environment.
• Hands-on experience with pressure systems, cryogenics, vacuum systems, environmental testing, or integrated vehicle systems.
• Familiarity with component-level qualification and acceptance testing standards and environmental test methods such as vibration, thermal vacuum, and EMI/EMC.
• Demonstrated experience with, or strong interest in, using AI tools and automation to improve team productivity and streamline lab operations.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and hands-on support for transferring acceptance testing of Lunar Core Components and Vehicle Subassemblies from the lunar development test team to production test organizations.
• Guide the team in implementing test plans, procedures, and requirements that meet production objectives.
• Support lunar development test organizations in reviewing and approving critical technical products, including test plans, procedures, and verification reports.
• Partner with internal customers to plan and schedule component test campaigns and allocate resources.
• Scope, assign, and track technical work to maintain prioritized workloads and meet critical test delivery dates.
• Identify, document, and mitigate technical and programmatic risks; escalate risks to program and business leadership with recommended mitigations when needed.
• Establish and maintain team metrics and project-tracking frameworks to monitor execution health and support data-driven decisions.
• Manage the full employee lifecycle for Lunar Operations Core Components & Vehicle Subassemblies Test Engineers, including recruiting, onboarding, development planning, coaching, and performance management.
• Coach direct reports on professional development and maximizing performance.
• Champion safety in production test environments, ensuring personnel and visitors are trained and equipped to work safely.
• Ensure team members are fully trained and actively participate in Blue Origin’s safety culture.
• Collaborate with peer functional teams, including Design Responsible Engineers, Operations/Production, Quality, and contract manufacturers.
• Build relationships with external stakeholders for benchmarking, recruiting pipelines, and collaboration.
• Model high standards of professional conduct.

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
• Paid time off of up to four weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours
• Up to 14 company-paid holidays
• Some employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses depending on role type and job level; eligibility and amounts are not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior