Sr. Director MK1 Lunar Lander

BLUE ORIGIN • West Melbourne, FL

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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.
We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.
Blue Origin is committed to building a future where millions of people live and work in space to benefit Earth. We must return to the Moon permanently, and Blue Origin's Lunar Permanence Programs enable this goal. As the pathfinder vehicle, the MK-1 Lunar Lander is the first of a series of Lunar Landers that will result in a sustainable lunar lander systems program.
Our MK-1 program represents an ambitious multi-mission cadence: Our first MK-1 "Endurance" will be the largest and most complex vehicle ever to land on the moon. Our second MK-1 will continue humanity's exploration of the Lunar south pole by delivering NASA's VIPER rover. NASA has also selected Blue Origin to fly two additional MK-1 landers to deliver Lunar Terrain Vehicles. Each of these missions operates with distinct architectural configurations tailored to evolving mission requirements. Executing these complex, concurrent missions requires sophisticated cost and schedule planning and management across multiple vehicle variants in different development phases.
The team building this vehicle is rethinking how space systems are designed, with a high-performing architecture, efficient reusability, and rapid design iteration.
The Senior Director of MK-1 Lunar Lander must deliver the system to operation on a challenging schedule and must demonstrate high judgment and have deep business experience including program and business responsibilities. They will be an inspiring leader who enjoys picking up challenges and driving them to solution. The Sr. Director will have a clear, concise, consistent communication style (both written and verbal) that instills energy and excitement in team members.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in aerospace systems
• Strong engineering development experience across the product lifecycle, with a track record of delivery on very aggressive schedules
• Demonstrated experience managing product family development or multiple concurrent vehicle programs with different technical architectures or design approaches
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge in designing, building, testing and flying aerospace systems for rockets, landers, and space systems
• Demonstrated ability to quickly identify and solve ambiguous problems and use engineering judgment to make rapid decisions that minimize wasted effort
• Attention to detail and desire to roll up your sleeves while insisting on high standards
• Demonstrated ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a high-energy, fast-paced environment
• Highly organized and capable of planning and guiding complex technical work across multiple concurrent programs
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and collaboration skills that enable you to earn trust at all levels

Nice To Haves

• M.S. or PhD in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering or related field, or MBA
• Experience managing multi-mission program portfolios with NASA

Responsibilities

• Providing overall leadership for the MK-1 Lunar Lander development program and managing the concurrent development of multiple lunar lander variants with different architecture configurations across the product line family.
• Ensure all Lander variants meet or exceed program requirements while balancing technical trade-offs across the product family.
• Manage a team that performs requirement definition, design, manufacturing, assembly, test, verification, validation, certification, and delivery of systems in the most expeditious manner consistent with success.
• Execute highly complex concurrent development programs on schedule while ensuring project risks are appropriately mitigated across all vehicle variants.
• Drive cost and schedule discipline across the entire product line, ensuring aggressive but achievable timelines for Endurance, VIPER, and Lunar Terrain Vehicle missions.
• Manage critical customer (NASA), partner, and supplier relationships, both internal suppliers as well as external ones.
• Balance technical prioritization and resource allocation across multiple vehicle variants in different development maturity levels.
• Help build a strong organization and provide leadership. Acquire and develop a high-performance team.
• Drive operational excellence creating a safe and efficient system.
• Help deliver aggressive goals for development, manufacturing, and operations.
• We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

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.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

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