Sr. Director – Manufacturing, Operations & Assembly

Sr. Director – Manufacturing, Operations & Assembly Job Highlights

Company Profile

Blue Origin is working on the vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. The company believes we must protect Earth by moving heavy industries that stress our planet into space and finding new energy and material resources. Blue is working on this today by developing operationally reusable launch vehicles that are safe, reliable, and highly available.

Job Profile

The company is searching for a Sr. Director who will be responsible for financial and operational execution for our New Glenn Launch Vehicle Final Assembly and Test team. This includes leading a skilled, interdisciplinary team, responsible for manufacturing readiness, production, and final assembly of orbital launch vehicles.

This is a hands-on position that requires the ability to communicate the vision, strategy, and tactical application of cost-effective strategies and key deliverables.

The position will report directly to the Vice President of Operations at our Orbital Launch Site (OLS).

Educational Qualification

• The applicants should have a BA or BS Degree from a college/university or Equivalent experience with emphasis in Operation Management or Manufacturing Engineering and progressive responsibility increases.

Work Experience

• The candidates should have 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• Experience leading, growing, and developing large teams in a multi-business unit integrated supply chain organization.
• Experience managing capital improvements and layout.
• Prior experience in a Factory or Plant leadership role required.
• Successful experience in hiring and developing great people with diverse skill sets.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Analyze processes and operations at the micro and macro levels followed by implementing high-impact improvements for safety and quality that reduce unit cost and accelerate throughput.
• Champion safety always and first-time quality across all functions while growing and developing your team at all levels.
• Direct initiatives and strategies that deliver cost-effective, high-quality, operational performance that produces the development of orbital launch vehicles for payload and human spaceflight.
• Implement methods to increase production efficiency and productivity to include factory flow and higher throughput within existing floor space first pass yield, increased output, improved learning curve, and supplier on-time delivery.
• Lead manufacturing operations to include quality, engineering, supply chain, and production across the Fabrication and Support or Final Assembly and Test Organizations at the Orbital Launch Site.
• Leverage Blue Origin’s Leadership Principles to cultivate a trusting, learning culture of leaders through continuous feedback, coaching, and robust development opportunities. Foster a “One Team Mindset”.
• Oversee the development and implementation of data-driven systems with a lean approach with a focus on delivering results.
• Propagate key operational learnings and best practices to support improvement across operations at OLS and the Blue enterprise.

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Ability to maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of trust, respect, inclusion, and integrity.
• Advanced knowledge in designing and building successful delivery of manufacturing, production, assembly, procurement, and logistics in a low volume high complexity environment.
• An attitude of world-class mission assurance, quality, attention to detail, and dedication.
• Highly effective and professional verbal and written communication skills with the team, internal customers, and suppliers that include a strong focus on teamwork and internal/external customer satisfaction.
• Proven knowledge in building or transforming successful production operation organizations and leading large-scale change management initiatives that influence culture, define tools & processes and improve competencies.
• Strong business acumen. Demonstrated experience challenging the status quo, driving change, and teaching and motivating individuals to develop and implement new ways of thinking and doing business.
• Strong knowledge and applied experiences in Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma.
• Understands how to create and manage work cell standard work and track deviation from that standard work.

Desired Qualifications

• 15+ years manufacturing experience in aerospace such as launch vehicles, aircraft, and helicopters.
• A Master’s Degree in engineering, operation, or business is a plus.
• Earned Value Management (EVM) experience.
• Experience in multiple manufacturing processes and technologies to include metal machining, composites, aerostructures, welding, and harness fabrication.
• Experience with Manufacturing Execution System and Product Lifecycle Manufacturing systems a plus.

Benefits/Perks

• The benefits include medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, and 401(k) with up to 4% company match.
• Paid Time Off – provides up to 4 weeks per year, in addition to 11 holidays

Other Requirements

• 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.

Employer’s Statement

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The company provides 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.