Mission Assurance Director - Lunar

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.

Blue Origin is seeking a Mission Assurance Director to lead the safety and mission assurance function for the Human Landing System (HLS) program within the Lunar Permanence business unit. HLS is Blue Origin's crewed lunar lander, developed under NASA's Artemis program to return humans to the surface of the Moon. This role is accountable for independent assurance of safety, quality, and mission success for a human rated spacecraft system, from design and qualification through integration and test, launch campaign support, and crewed lunar operations.

The Mission Assurance Director serves as the mission assurance authority across program milestones, in close partnership with the program, engineering, system safety, reliability, quality assurance, and EHS functional organizations, as well as directly with NASA.

Scope includes budget planning, organizational strategy, and high level communication with senior executives, the customer, and across the organization, including responsibility to manage change in a structured, systemic manner.

This role reports to the Vice President of Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the mission assurance authority for the Human Landing System program, providing independent oversight and technical judgment across the program lifecycle
• Define, implement, and monitor the HLS mission assurance program, specifications, and processes to assure design, test, launch, and crewed mission success
• Coordinate SQMA efforts across a matrixed team of system safety, reliability, and quality engineers to ensure safe and successful tests and missions
• Provide inputs to program, test, and mission planning to ensure safety and mission assurance objectives are addressed at each development and certification gate
• Coordinate with the program to establish and refine risk thresholds and goals for safety and mission success, and provide disposition of risks relevant to safety and mission success
• Represent Mission Assurance at program, design, test, and material review boards
• Ensure safety, reliability, hazard, and FMEA analyses are thorough and correct, and that derived requirements and mitigations are verified and closed
• Serve as non-advocate for design, qualification, production, and flight readiness reviews, and for test and integration facility activation
• Provide independent review of failure and defect root cause analyses, anomaly investigations, and mishaps, and provide non-advocate support to corrective and preventive action processes
• Provide technical expertise to manufacturing and test activities to improve product safety, reliability, and quality
• Interface directly with NASA on mission assurance requirements, compliance, and human rating certification activities
• Establish, track, and report key performance metrics to SQMA and Lunar Permanence leadership to support program goals

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field
• 15+ years of experience in mission assurance, quality, reliability, or product integrity for complex hardware
• Human spaceflight or launch vehicle certification experience, including familiarity with human rating requirements and processes
• Strong proficiency with safety and mission assurance processes, analysis, and tools, including risk management, hazard analysis, FMEA, reliability analysis, and root cause analysis
• Demonstrated success providing independent technical judgment and establishing risk thresholds that drive mission success on complex aerospace systems
• Technical leadership experience driving workforce culture and process change and leading through influence
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including with senior executives and external customers

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct NASA interface experience, including familiarity with NASA mission assurance and safety requirements
• Experience on NASA crewed or human rated programs
• Launch vehicle and associated ground systems development experience
• Experience supporting launch operations
• Continuous Improvement, Lean, or Six Sigma knowledge and experience
• Working knowledge of AS9100 or an equivalent quality standard, including audit and conformance experience

 

Base Pay Range for:

CO applicants is $160,618.00 - $224,864.85 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 [email protected]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.