Vice President, Manufacturing Operations

We are a diverse 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.

As part of a hardworking, passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will be responsible for financial and operational results for Blue Origin's Manufacturing. This includes leading a skilled, interdisciplinary team, responsible for production of technologically innovative spaceflight systems. 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. You will report directly to the Senior Vice President of Operations. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable 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

• Leverage Blue Origin’s Leadership Principles to cultivate a trusting, learning culture of leaders through continuous feedback, coaching and robust development opportunities.
• Direct initiatives and strategies that deliver cost effective, high quality, operational performance that produces the development of world class, technologically advanced spaceflight systems.
• Lead the integrated manufacturing operation to include engineering, supply chain, and production operations across multiple manufacturing facilities nationwide.
• Analyzing processes and operations at the micro and macro levels followed by implementing high impact improvements for safety, cost savings, and other means to accelerate progress.
• Propagate key operational learnings and best practices to support improvement across the Blue enterprise.
• Oversee the development and implementation of a data driven systems for scheduling, planning, reporting through dashboards and metrics with a focus on delivering results.
• Champion the overall production for existing and new programs while growing and developing your team at all levels.
• Implement methods to increase production efficiency and productivity to include factory flow and higher throughput within existing floorspace first pass yield, increased output, improved learning curve, and supplier on time delivery.

Qualifications

• Prior experience in a Factory or Plant leadership role required.
• Experience managing capital improvements and layout.
• 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.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.
• Successful experience in hiring and developing great people with diverse skill sets.
• BA or BS degree or equivalent experience with emphasis in Operation Management or Manufacturing Engineering and progressive responsibility increases.
• An attitude of world-class mission assurance, quality, attention to detail, and dedication.
• Highly effective and professional verbal and written communication skills with team, internal customers and suppliers that includes a strong focus on teamwork and internal/external customer satisfaction.
• Advanced knowledge in designing and building successful delivery of manufacturing, production, assembly, procurement and logistics in a low volume high complexity environment.
• Successful experience in developing and implementing volume manufacturing processes.
• Experience leading, growing and developing large teams in a multi-business unit integrated supply chain organization.
• 15+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• Proven knowledge in building or transforming successful operations. organizations and leading large-scale change management initiatives that influence culture, define tools & processes and improve competencies.
• Understands how to create and manage work cell standard work and track deviation from that standard work.
• Strong business acumen including high value asset management.
• Demonstrated experience challenging the status quo, driving change, and teaching and motivating individuals to develop and implement new ways of thinking and doing business.

Desired

• Strong knowledge and applied experiences in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and Toyota Production System.
• Experience with Manufacturing Execution System and Product Lifecycle Manufacturing systems a plus.
• 20+ years experience in manufacturing experience in aerospace or a closely related industry, such as launch vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, automotive, excavation, mining, energy, or shipbuilding.
• Experience working with aerospace suppliers and subcontractors.
• Experience in multiple manufacturing processes and technologies to include metal machining, composites, aero structures, welding, and harness fabrication.
• Masters degree in engineering, operation, or business is a plus.
• Earned Value Management (EVM) experience.

Don’t meet every single requirement? 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 a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every 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.

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. For more information on “EEO Is the Law,” please see here and here.

Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Washington Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws.

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].

Benefits

Employee Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability and 401(k) with up to 5% company match.

Paid Time Off: Provides up to 4 weeks per year, in addition to 14 holidays

Discretionary bonus programs