Senior Manager – Avionics Packaging Mechanical Engineering

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 the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. To further Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

This role is part of the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers and related products. To further Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, we are building sustainable infrastructure for our transport of crew and cargo from Earth to the lunar surface.

As part of a hardworking team of engineers and technical specialists, you will directly impact the history of space exploration and demonstrate your commitment to safe, reliable, and repeatable spaceflight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and advancing Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

This opportunity reports to the Avionics Packaging group lead within the Core Avionics team in the the Lunar Permanence business unit. This Senior Manager position leads a team of mechanical engineers and technical specialists responsible for the design, analysis, testing, and critical review of avionics enclosures and assemblies that house printed circuit board assemblies and other electronic components.

This senior-level role provides leadership, technical expertise, and training for the mechanical team. Responsibilities include coordinating project assignments with team leads and project managers, reconciling project needs with staff resources and capabilities, and owning the technical quality of the team’s work. This includes responsibility for the standards, processes, and tools used in complex avionics enclosure design and analysis, as well as oversight of component cost, mass, and delivery schedule.

Management responsibilities include fostering employee training, growth, and career development; managing underperformance; providing status updates to upper management; and providing input on the team's annual budget, expenditures, and headcount. While this is a management role, it also requires—and provides the opportunity for—significant technical input, guidance, review, oversight, and future roadmap planning to support technology advancement and cost reduction.

As a member of the Human Landing System (HLS) Sustaining Lunar Development (SLD) program team, your work will play a key role in developing lunar transportation systems that will return humans to the Moon and help extend human presence beyond the bounds of Earth.

Passion for our mission and vision is required. If you are excited by delivering both near-term and long-term value, solving novel problems, learning new topics, and completing challenging projects, please apply!

Special Mentions

- Relocation provided
- Travel expected up to 15% of the time
- Interviews will include a technical assessment

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- Supply people, processes, and tools needed to meet the demand signals specified by project and program managers
- Negotiate Statements of Work with the respective product managers
- Supply staffing to projects, reconciling project needs with staff capabilities and negotiating time commitments
- When demand signal exceeds group capabilities or capacity, work with the Group Lead to recruit and hire additional staff or secure contract labor as needed
- Manage direct reports’ professional development (e.g., goals, skills, performance reviews, compensation and promotion management, one-on-one development conversations) and coach them on maximizing performance
- Ensure staff are properly trained, including participation in the Blue Origin safety culture
- Obtain relevant performance feedback for employees for each evaluation period
- Facilitate development opportunities for team members to align with product needs, advance the capabilities of the team’s community of practice, and increase employee satisfaction
- Equip the team with relevant engineering tools and training in proper usage
- Set and prioritize team goals in alignment with group and business unit goals
- Promote the usage of key technical resources (e.g., standards, journals, references)
- Develop, maintain, and implement a plan for acquiring software, models, and analysis tools needed, and processes for capturing staff best practices
- Coordinate and integrate with similar functional teams and expertise across the company
- Build relationships with external stakeholders in the domain area for benchmarking, recruiting pipeline, and collaboration purposes
- Perform technical work where needed and provide technical leadership
- Exemplify high standards of conduct for team members
- Facilitate solutions to issues encountered by team members
- Grow technical acumen and depth in relevant fields of expertise

- Embody, promote, and coach the Blue Origin leadership principles and business unit culture

Minimum Qualifications

- B.S. degree in Mechanical or Aerospace engineering or equivalent.
- 10+ years of demonstrated experience managing technical teams and/or leading functional groups, with responsibility for technical quality of work delivered and career management of employees
- 4+ years of experience with static structural, modal, random vibration, and thermal analysis
- Experience designing ruggedized electronics enclosures or similar high-performance hardware
- History of developing innovative solutions with partially defined requirements and changing criteria
- History of managing schedules, budgets, and headcount
- Experience working with customers, component suppliers, fabricators, and distributors
- Ability to be self-directed and balance multiple projects at one time
- History of communicating status, design concepts, and technical results effectively
- History of demonstrating autonomous leadership
- Technical or management abilities have been recognized by the larger organization
- Familiarity with static structural, modal, random vibration, and thermal analysis
- Familiarity with 3D CAD modeling programs (Creo preferred)
- Familiarity with FEA tools (Ansys preferred)
- Familiarity with GD&T usage (ASME Y14.5)
- Familiarity with environmental testing including vibration, shock, thermal cycle
- Experience performing failure analysis and establishing root cause / corrective action

- Flexibility and openness to tackling varied assignments and learning new skills
- 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.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with recent versions of Creo, Windchill, ANSYS, ICEPAK, and Sherlock
- Experience with fatigue analysis and fracture mechanics
- Experience with aerospace industry standard analysis methods (Bruhn, Marks’, Shigley, Steinberg, Engelmeier)
- Experience with environmental testing similar to SMC-S-016, DO-160, and/or MIL-STD-810 (random vibration, shock, thermal cycle, TVAC, EMI/RFI, etc.)
- Experience with circuit card design per IPC-A-610 and/or J standards