
Senior Manager - System Operations Architecture
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 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.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.
We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a safety-first culture. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth. In this role, you will share in the team’s impact on all aspects of operational requirements, interfaces, and processes to achieve New Glenn program’s mission to make human spaceflight accessible and affordable. As a Sr Manager of Operations Architects within Launch System Architecture, you will be involved in architectural definition, design for operability and maintainability, trade studies, risk assessment, concept of operations development, development and allocation of system operability requirements, configuration and data management, and people management of your team members.
As part of a small, passionate, and accomplished team of experts, you will be responsible for developing the comprehensive operations approach and operational improvements for the New Glenn Launch Vehicle and associated ground systems, working closely with the New Glenn Operations team to ensure the system design is operable, maintainable, serviceable, and conducive to safe, rapid, and repeatable operations. You will work across subsystems and support integrated solutions while making sure operability, maintainability, and rapid launch cadence are central design tenets. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your dedicated commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable spaceflight.
Responsibilities:
- Manage a team of System Operational Architects responsible for developing a detailed operational architecture, sequence of operations, trade study generation, Engineering Operations Requirements (EORs), Maintenance Requirements (MRs), Launch Commit Criteria (LCC), and operational improvements to increase the launch cadence of New Glenn. Key responsibilities of this team are as follows:
- Author documents that define the system operational architecture, operations and control rationale, maintenance requirements, and critical cross element performance or interface requirements.
- Serve as primary engineering POC for CONOP development through all phases of operations, acting as cross element interface for design engineering and operations.
- Assess, identify, and lead any fixes to gaps in the concept of vehicle operations and recovery.
- Lead cross element design trade studies considering launch operations through all phases the mission including pre-launch, landing, and recovery.
- Ensure consistency, accuracy, and appropriate integration of operating requirements into procedures, scripts, and displays used during vehicle operations.
- Provide real-time support to integrated tests and launch operations.
- Review and approve procedures, scripts, and displays used during vehicle operations.
- Work with operations and design engineering to ensure development of the launch vehicle maintainability, and serviceability throughout all phases of mission operations and recovery/refurb.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of a B.S. degree in Engineering or related technical discipline
- 7+ years of proven Systems Engineering, analysis, operations, or component testing on launch vehicles, spacecraft, or other highly regulated industry
- Highly knowledgeable of systems engineering practices, integration processes, and mission/safety critical systems
- Self-directed and able to balance several tasks at one time
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams and mentor junior systems engineers
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; strength in teaming and collaboration in a fast-paced work environment, self-starter
Desired:
- Master's Degree (M.S., M.E.) or higher in Systems Engineering or related field
- Familiarity with the design of launch or space vehicles, ground based launch support systems, offshore recovery operations, and system integration
- Experience directly supporting ongoing launch vehicle operations
- Experience with architectural development and trade study definition
- Ability to operate, make decisions, lead, and make forward progress in ambiguous environments
- Strong systems engineering background with experience across the full product life cycle
- Ability to lead a team to produce results with partially defined requirements and changing criteria
Compensation Range for:
WA applicants is $183,807.00 - $257,328.75Other 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 (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.
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.
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Job Details
- Category
- Operations
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Location
- Greater Seattle AreaGreater Seattle Area
- Posted
- May 13, 2026, 07:49 PM
- Compensation
- $183,807 - $257,329 per year
About Blue Origin
Part of the growing frontier tech ecosystem pushing the edges of what's possible.
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