Sr. Director, Volume Manufacturing Strategy

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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.

The Sr Director, Volume Manufacturing Strategy serves as the leader and representative for TeraWave Manufacturing locations and is responsible for leading all aspects of a high-rate production site spanning the systematic planning, release, scheduling and coordinating of manufacturing activities. This includes coordinating and expediting the flow of work and materials within or between departments according to the production schedule and coordination of hardware between work centers and sites.

This leader will own manufacturing readiness spanning integration & test, manufacturing engineering, development test, development machining and fabrication, tooling, automation, and production — while simultaneously managing site planning, facility expansion, business operations, and day-to-day office management. They will ensure facility standards, cultivate a positive site culture, and maintain strong community relationships.

This leadership role balances operational excellence with strategic community integration while representing the company's mission and values.

Primary Responsibilities:

Oversee site appearance, maintenance, and safety standards. Drive continuous improvement initiatives for site conditions and operational efficiency, drawing on hands-on experience scaling complex manufacturing environments from development-scale operations to the highest-rate production facilities in the industry. Coordinate with facilities management to address infrastructure needs and improvements, including large-scale factory expansions and new capability buildouts constructed concurrently with active product development cycles.

Drive a safety culture through participation in onboarding and other communication vehicles.

Ensure site security protocols are followed. Partner with internal stakeholders to determine and communicate site restrictions, closure and reopening status related to launch processes, product testing, or weather-related incidents. Ensure proper management of facility tours and dignitary visits, including government and executive-level engagements.

Determine site space utilization including office-space planning, production floor layout, material movement, and storage requirements. Apply hands-on experience with factory layout design, work center optimization, and production flow — including standing up machining work centers capable of single-digit micron level tolerances on critical products — to maximize throughput and support rapid scaling across multiple concurrent production programs.

Lead all hardware and site operations end-to-end, including manufacturing and production, site planning and expansion, and business operations liaison responsibilities. Own the full scope of manufacturing disciplines across the site: integration & test, manufacturing engineering, development test, development machining and fabrication, tooling, automation, and production.

Apply experience successfully scaling a factory from a development run of tens of units to a rate of 30–45 units per week — the kind of step-change growth this role is expected to drive.

In partnership with engagement teams, Business Resource Groups, or other planning teams, take ownership of site-wide engagement initiatives to foster an inclusive, high-performance culture. Leverage experience managing large, cross-functional technical teams spanning engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality, tooling, automation, and operations. Maintain regular communication channels (distribution lists, wiki pages) to inform and engage the site population.

In partnership with the sales and marketing team, serve as the primary site representative with local government officials and community organizations. Represent Blue Origin at local events, industry events, and local government forums. Collaborate on public relations matters specific to the manufacturing site.

Coordinate preparation and communication of monthly site operational results to product line and business leaders. Participate in operational reviews including safety meetings, internal and external audits. Bring demonstrated experience delivering operational results in high-cadence, mission-critical production environments, including serving as a primary quality and operations representative during anomaly investigations and return-to-flight activities.

Champion company values and ensure alignment between corporate vision and site execution, including bridging product development and manufacturing to support aggressive production ramp timelines. Apply experience building new factory capacity concurrently with product design to hit projected launch cadence targets without sacrificing quality or schedule.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing environments, preferably within aerospace, space systems, or similarly complex high-reliability industries
• Demonstrated experience personally leading all aspects of a manufacturing site, including production operations, manufacturing engineering, site planning and expansion, facility buildout, tooling, automation, and business operations — including day-to-day office and site management responsibilities
• Proven track record of scaling production systems from low-rate initial production or development runs to high-rate manufacturing, including standing up new factories or work centers concurrently with product development cycles and achieving step-change improvements in production output
• Hands-on experience building precision manufacturing capability, including high-tolerance machining work centers and advanced composites production (prepreg layup, AFP, cure, NDE, bonding, and structural integration)
• Experience developing an annual operating plan and managing budgets for capital equipment expenses, facility expansion, and employee engagement initiatives
• Demonstrated excellence in stakeholder management and community relations, including government and executive-level interactions
• Strong employee relations, people leadership, communication, and public speaking skills
• Experience managing cross-functional teams — including engineering, quality, tooling, automation, and operations — and complex initiatives with demonstrated ability to influence executive decisions
• Deep background in quality systems and manufacturing engineering, with direct authorship and implementation of quality management processes including AS9100 compliance, Work Order Controls, Configuration Management and Change Control, Control of Nonconforming Hardware, and RCCA
• Track record of successful employee engagement programs
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical discipline required
• Success Factors: Ability to balance strategic vision with practical execution — including simultaneously developing long-range factory strategy, building new production capacity, and managing day-to-day site operations across all manufacturing disciplines
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with collaborative stakeholders across engineering, operations, quality, and business functions
• Collaborative leadership style that inspires trust and commitment within large, technically diverse teams spanning engineering, manufacturing, and operations
• Proactive problem-solving approach with strong decision-making capabilities, especially in fast-paced, high-consequence production environments where schedule, quality, and safety must all be maintained
• Passion for internal and external community development and a commitment to representing the company's mission in the broader community
• 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.
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• 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.
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• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check
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