Title: Sr. Manager – Landing Gear Subsystem

Location: Greater Seattle Area

Position Type: Full time

Requisition ID: R68208

Description:

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 supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

We are a dynamic 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 toward safe and repeatable spaceflight. 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.

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn — a heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. The fully reusable Stage 1 booster (GS1-9E, powered by nine BE-4 engines) is central to Blue Origin's mission of dramatically lowering the cost of access to space through rapid reuse.

As the Sr. Manager for the New Glenn Stage 1 Landing Gear Subsystem, you will report to the Senior Director of the GS1-9E Aft Module and have responsibility for executing the design, development, test, qualification, and production of a new, clean-sheet Landing Gear Subsystem for the New Glenn 2.0 booster. You will lead a small, high-performing team of approximately ten engineers, driving a design philosophy centered on reusability, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness — setting new precedents for speed and efficiency along the way.

Responsibilities:

• Meet and exceed aggressive schedule, cost, and performance requirements while setting new precedents for engineering speed and efficiency

• Champion a design philosophy of reusability, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness across the full Landing Gear Subsystem scope

• Plan and coordinate the resources necessary to successfully design, build, test, qualify, and certify the New Glenn Stage 1 Landing Gear Subsystem

• Manage the GS1 Landing Gear Subsystem through the entire lifecycle — from clean-sheet design and development through qualification and rate production

• Lead the team in source selection for procured commodities, and drive supplier selection and management

• Identify, track, and mitigate risks to technical performance, cost, and schedule

• Lead and develop the team through hiring, training, and mentoring, while providing hands-on technical leadership and setting a high standard for engineering rigor

• Meet recurring cost targets and manage risks and opportunities against per-flight cost requirements consistent with a rapidly reusable booster

• Establish, maintain, and report on team safety products, fault trees, reliability assessments, component-level failure mode assessments, and operational hazards

• Coordinate closely with internal manufacturing and supplier organizations to execute first-time system builds and resolve technical and schedule issues

Qualifications:

• Passion for our mission and vision

• B.S. in an aerospace, mechanical, or systems engineering-related field, with 8+ years of complex mechanical systems development experience

• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor a technical team, balancing strong technical leadership with people development

• Highly organized leader with excellent technical written and verbal communication skills and a demonstrated track record of resourcefulness, strong business and technical judgment, and bias for action

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, with the ability to travel in support of program, customer, and supplier activities

• Experience in project planning and successful execution of projects to cost and schedule targets

• Familiarity with design drawing and GD&T practices, CREO and Windchill design lifecycle tools, and structural analysis tools and practices such as ANSYS

Desired:

• M.S. in aerospace, mechanical, or systems engineering, with experience in launch vehicle development, production, and operations

• Experience developing reusable flight hardware or mechanisms with an emphasis on refurbishment, rate production, and per-flight cost reduction

• Experience with landing systems, deployable mechanisms, dampers/actuators, or touchdown/loads-driven design

• 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

• Strong business management acumen and experience managing geographically dispersed programs with major subcontractors

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $183,807.00 - $257,328.75

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 (obtained before onboarding), 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.

• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

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.

• 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.

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 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. 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, sex, 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 “Know Your Rights,” 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 EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.