Senior Director, Operational Excellence

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.

The Senior Director of Operational Excellence is a new role to lead large-scale process improvement initiatives across businesses, programs, and operations at Blue Origin. This role is responsible for driving a culture of continuous improvement, standardization, and operational rigor, ensuring best-in-class performance through data-driven decision-making and scalable mechanisms.

This role will play a critical part in shaping and scaling a culture of Operational Excellence, enabling the organization to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes while continuously improving speed, efficiency, and reliability across the network.

Key Responsibilities
This role will be responsible for driving Operational Excellence (OE), standard work, kaizen, defect reduction, Total Quality Management (TQM), and continuous improvement initiatives enterprise wide.

This leader will:

• Build and lead a high-performing Operational Excellence team, setting vision, priorities, and measurable outcomes
• Develop and implement mechanisms to identify, prioritize, and execute process improvements across operations
• Identify benchmark and best practices, driving consistency and leveraging learnings across the network
• Establish, measure, audit, and publish ongoing performance data aligned to the Blue OE Playbook
• Create, teach, and embed a kaizen culture focused on rapid, iterative improvements
• Design and deploy scalable learning modules to drive OE adoption and capability-building across teams
• Partner cross-functionally with operations, engineering, quality, and leadership teams to align on priorities and drive impact
• Lead defect reduction initiatives through root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive measures
• Standardize workflows and ensure adherence to operational processes and quality standards
• Drive accountability through clear metrics, reporting mechanisms, and regular business reviews

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Manufacturing, Operations, Production or related fields
• Aerospace industry experience with expertise in production and planning.
• Proven experience leading large-scale OE transformations or continuous improvement initiatives
• Deep expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Total Quality Management (TQM) methodologies
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams in complex, fast-paced environments
• Strong analytical skills with experience using data to drive decisions and measure impact
• Experience developing standard work, playbooks, and scalable process frameworks
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels
• Track record of driving measurable improvements in efficiency, quality, and cost
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree or MBA
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification
• Experience operating in multi-site or network-wide environments
• Background in aerospace, manufacturing, logistics, or high-reliability industries
• Experience building training programs or learning systems for operational adoption

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.