Design for Manufacturing Lead - New Glenn Payload Accommodation

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.

As the Manufacturing Technology Lead for the Payload Accommodation Development (PA-Dev) program, you will be directly embedded within the engineering design team — not in a support or advisory capacity, but as a core member of the design organization influencing decisions in real time. You will spearhead efforts to optimize designs for high-volume production, cost efficiency, and payload fairing reusability. This position requires expertise in advanced manufacturing technologies, high-rate production, and design for reuse to drive meaningful design improvements that reduce production costs, simplify assembly and refurbishment processes, enable higher production rates, and extend hardware service life across multiple flights while maintaining or enhancing performance and reliability.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Serve as the manufacturing technology authority embedded directly in the PA-Dev engineering team, participating in daily design decisions, trade studies, and technical reviews as a peer to design engineers

• Lead cross-functional DFx team activities to identify design optimization opportunities focused on manufacturing cost reduction, production scalability, and reusability

• Develop and implement DFx guidelines, standards, and processes specifically tailored for the PA-Dev program and payload fairing reuse

• Conduct detailed design reviews with manufacturing, production, and recovery operations teams to ensure designs are optimized for efficient production and multi-flight service

• Perform cost modeling and analysis to identify high-cost components and processes, proposing design alternatives that maintain performance while reducing per-flight costs through reuse

• Develop design criteria for payload fairing recovery and reuse, including saltwater exposure tolerance, inspection accessibility, refurbishment processes, and recertification requirements

• Define manufacturing and material requirements that enable fairing structures to withstand repeated water landing loads, marine environment exposure, and handling during ship-based recovery operations

• Collaborate with recovery operations teams to ensure fairing designs accommodate efficient retrieval from water, shipboard handling, transport, and turnaround processing

• Collaborate with suppliers to optimize component designs for manufacturability, cost, and durability across multiple service cycles

• Implement value engineering techniques to identify and eliminate unnecessary features or processes that add cost without proportional value, while ensuring reuse-critical features are preserved

• Lead production rate analysis to identify bottlenecks and develop design improvements that enable higher throughput, incorporating refurbishment lines alongside new-build production

• Drive design standardization and part count reduction initiatives to streamline manufacturing, assembly, and refurbishment processes

• Oversee engineering adoption of Model-Based Definition (MBD), ensuring 3D product definitions are authoritative and integrated with downstream operations systems including MRP, and production planning tools

• Integrate lessons learned from current production and fairing recovery operations to drive continuous improvement in design practices

• Develop metrics and reporting systems to track DFx performance, cost reduction achievements, and reuse turnaround efficiency

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, production, or design engineering roles

• 8+ years of experience applying DFx methodologies in aerospace or similar high-complexity industries

• Demonstrated experience working embedded within engineering design teams, influencing design decisions directly rather than through after-the-fact review

• Demonstrated experience in cost analysis, value engineering, and design optimization

• Familiarity with modern manufacturing technologies and processes relevant to aerospace structures and propulsion systems

• Strong understanding of engineering design processes, CAD/CAM systems, and PLM tools

• Experience with production rate modeling and manufacturing system design

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills

• Ability to influence senior technical decision-makers and drive change across organizational boundaries

• 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:

• Advanced degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Systems, or related field

• 10+ years of experience in aerospace manufacturing or production engineering

• Systems engineering background with experience in requirements flowdown, interface management, and integration across design, manufacturing, and operations domains

• Direct experience with liquid rocket engine design, manufacturing, or testing

• Direct experience with design for reuse, refurbishment, or multi-mission hardware lifecycle management

• Experience with composite structures, marine environment durability, or corrosion-resistant design for hardware exposed to saltwater recovery

• Experience implementing Model-Based Definition (MBD) and integrating engineering data with MRP/ERP systems

• Direct experience with high-rate manufacturing of low-cost products, such as automotive or consumer products

• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies

• Knowledge of advanced manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing, automated welding, automated fiber placement, and precision machining as applied to aerospace structures and propulsion systems

• Experience with design optimization software and simulation tools (e.g., FEA for reuse load cases, rigid body dynamics for recovery analysis)

• Background in supplier development and manufacturing technology transfer

• Project management experience with demonstrated cost reduction achievements

• Experience with production cost modeling and analysis tools

• Certification in DFMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) or similar

 

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $169,624.00 - $237,473.25

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, 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.