Senior Director, Tanks and Structures - New Glenn

Application close date:

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!  

As part of a small, passionate, and accomplished team of experts, you will direct and lead the tanks and structural engineering team in support of New Glenn Stage 2 and Payload Accommodations (“GS2PA”) program. GS2PA must support affordable, reusable, low-cost access to space, and a rapid stage production capability is necessary to maintain the flight manifest.
 

As Senior Director, you will report to the GS2PA Vice President. You will be held accountable for on-time delivery of the tank design, development, testing, and production. The candidate must have experience in the design, manufacturing, and production of aerospace structures. The candidate will be familiar with metallic structures, friction stir welding, dome forming, barrel bump forming, as well as a working knowledge of design in cryogenic or pressurized environments.
 

The Senior Director will fully encompass every facet of program management, including cost, schedule, technical design, risk management, and working with Blue Origin internal organizations and external suppliers to deliver verified structures. You will set the team's technical direction, requiring a broad application of advanced engineering principles, theories, and concepts and knowledge of other related disciplines. You will lead and develop the team by impacting all aspects of launch vehicle structural engineering. This position will directly affect the history of space exploration and requires your dedication and attention toward safe and reliable spaceflight. 

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!

Responsibilities:

• Deliver the flight GS2 tanks on time, within budget and meet system requirements. 
• Plan and coordinate the resources necessary to successfully design, build, execute testing, and certify the New Glenn second state structural elements.
• Collaborate closely with the engines business unit for requirements and interface management, programmatic collaboration, and qualification approval.
• Meet and exceed aggressive schedule, cost and performance requirements. 
• Lead the team in source selection for all structural commodities, supplier selection and management. 
• Establish, maintain and routinely report performance to plan on schedule, resources, cost, and technical performance metrics.  
• Identify, track, and mitigate risks to technical performance, cost and schedule. 
• Lead the team to develop and document structural design to support operations, integration, manufacturing, and quality. 
• Lead and develop the team through hiring, training, and mentoring while providing technical leadership. 
• Meet recurring cost target and manage risk and opportunities to per flight cost requirement. 
• Support commercial and government launch customer requests for information, proposals and alternate use cases. 
• Establish, maintain, and report on team safety products, fault trees, reliability, component level failure mode assessments, and operational hazards. 
• Develop project summary presentations and memos for executive review, internal team meetings, and support to the Blue Origin communications team. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. in an aerospace, mechanical, or systems engineering-related field, with 15+ years leadership experience related to complex integrated aerospace products and missions.
• Experience managing proposals, projects, or development programs.
• Highly organized leader with excellent technical written and verbal communication skills with proven track record of resourcefulness, strong business and technical judgement and bias for action from their previous assignments.
• Successful experience in hiring and developing great people with various skill sets and demonstrated ability to empower and coordinate effective teams and resolve conflicts.
• Comfortable working in a fast paced, multifaceted work environment and ability to travel in support of the program, customer, and supplier activities.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion 
• 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.

Desired Qualifications:

• MBA, Program Management Professional (PMP) certification and Earned Value Management System (EVMS) experience. Experience with critical path scheduling, IMP/IMS, risk management, requirements management and Cost Account Management such as EVM.
• M.S. in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or systems engineering and experience with launch vehicle development, production, and operations.
• Prior experience as technical or subsystem lead with an understanding of upper stage development and re-entry concepts.
• Experience with verification, integration, and test, of orbital launch vehicles or human rated spacecraft.
• Strong business management competence and experience managing large, geographically dispersed programs with large subcontractors.

Compensation Range for:

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check

• Required for Certain Job Profiles:  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation

• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification, Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

Benefits

• Benefits include:  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.

• Paid Time Off:  Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

• Discretionary bonus: Bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results.

• Eligibility for benefits varies by role type, please check with your recruiter for a comprehensive list of the benefits available for this role.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified, diverse, and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork, in which all employees recognize and appreciate the diversity of individual team members. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “EEO Is the Law,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [email protected].

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