Director - Reliability Engineering

Blue Origin•Space Coast — 8082 Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953, US• Full Time

Posted 18 hours ago• Business & Finance

Job 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 is part of Blue Origin Operations, which is comprised of Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. This includes Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities.

This role is part of Blue Origin Operations Advanced Manufacturing & GSE Engineering. The Reliability organization supports the full lifecycle of reliability from design through operations, maintenance, and supply chain across production, integration, launch/ground, test, and refurbishment operations at Blue Origin facilities.

Blue Origin's vision is millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. Achieving that vision requires safe, reliable, high-cadence operations across all of our programs, from engines and vehicles to launch sites and refurbishment.

As the Director of Reliability, you will build and lead a company-wide organization responsible for reliability across the entire lifecycle of operations: design reliability, operations reliability, maintenance engineering, supply chain reliability, and weld operations. Your team will be embedded with design, production, integration, launch, test, and refurbishment operations and will own reliability of execution, spanning GSE and tooling design, production and operations processes, supplier oversight, weld standards, maintenance engineering support, and in-house controls troubleshooting. The organization's mission is to identify issues that drive cost, constrain reliability, and limit production and launch rates, then organize and implement cross-functional solutions that enable program and business goals.

We are looking for someone to apply their leadership skills, technical expertise, and commitment to safety and quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required.

Responsibilities

Define and own the vision, charter, and long-term roadmap for Reliability Engineering across Blue Origin operations and ground systems.

Build and lead a high-performing Reliability organization embedded in design, production, integration/refurb, launch/ground, and test operations at key sites.

Establish company-wide standards and governance for reliability across the full lifecycle of operations: design FMEAs, operational reliability of processes/tooling/ground systems, weld standards, maintenance engineering practices, and controls troubleshooting capabilities.

Prioritize work based on impact to launch/flight rate, safety, vehicle and facility risk, and cost; ensure the team focuses on the highest-value issues.

Serve as extreme owner for root cause and corrective actions for major process, tooling, GSE/ground, weld, and supplier events that affect mission success or fleet risk.

Partner with Design Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program leadership to integrate reliability considerations into design reviews, rate plans, capacity planning, supplier selection, and concepts of operations for major programs (initially New Glenn).

Drive design reliability engineering: establish design FMEA standards, design for reliability/maintainability (DFR/DFM) practices, and early engagement in design reviews to identify and mitigate reliability risks before hardware is built.

Own supply chain reliability and critical spares strategy: establish supplier quality standards, conduct vendor audits, manage vendor performance, develop critical spares strategies, and address long-lead component procurement and obsolescence.

Lead weld reliability and engineering: establish company-wide weld standards, oversee CWI/SCWI personnel, own weld process control and acceptance criteria, and serve as executive owner for weld nonconformance root causes.

Provide maintenance engineering support: deliver engineering expertise to maintenance organizations (FL/HSV/Kent), establish maintenance engineering standards (PM optimization, predictive maintenance), lead technical investigations for equipment failures, and drive maintainability improvements through reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) practices.

Build in-house controls engineering capability: establish controls troubleshooting and maintenance support to reduce Factory Automation dependency, allow Factory Automation to focus on design and build, and develop controls standards and preventive maintenance for high-tempo operations.

Drive development and use of a focused set of reliability and flow metrics (e.g., scrubs/rollbacks and major delays driven by process/GSE, unplanned downtime, turnaround performance, repeat issues, supplier quality metrics, weld defect rates) to guide decisions and demonstrate value.

Ensure strong feedback loops from operations back into design, manufacturing engineering, GSE design, and supply chain so that lessons learned from the floor, pad, and field are captured in product, tooling, process, and supplier changes.

Represent Reliability in site and enterprise forums; identify and propagate best practices across programs and locations.

Develop talent, culture, and ways of working within Reliability that emphasize hands-on engagement, data-driven decisions, and closure of systemic issues over one-off fixes.

Minimum Qualifications

B.S. degree in engineering or related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Demonstrated track record of improving reliability, availability, or throughput of complex processes, tooling, ground systems, or products in production, operational, or design settings.

Significant experience leading cross-functional root cause investigations and implementing durable corrective and preventive actions.

Strong ability to partner with Design Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management and to influence decisions at director/VP level.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly articulate operational and design risks, trade-offs, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in launch/spaceflight, aerospace production, or other mission-critical, capital-intensive operations.

Deep familiarity with reliability and operational excellence methods (e.g., FMEA/FMECA, FRACAS, RCM, SPC, PFMEA, control plans, design for reliability).

Experience in design reliability engineering, including design FMEA, reliability analysis, and design for maintainability.

Supply chain quality or supplier management experience, including vendor audits, supplier quality agreements, and critical spares planning.

Experience standing up a new function or organization and scaling it across multiple sites or programs.

Demonstrated success building "embedded" engineering teams that work day-to-day with designers, technicians, and operations.

Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-changing environments and making decisions with imperfect information.

Additional Requirements

Ability to travel regularly between Blue Origin sites (e.g., Kent, launch/test sites, major production locations, supplier locations), with increased travel around major test/launch or investigation milestones.

Ability to support extended hours, nights, or weekends during critical operations or major investigations, as needed.

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.
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.