Director- Tooling Fabrication Production

Application close date:

10/1/2026

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.

As part of a passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will be responsible to produce components for Blue Origin launch and space vehicle programs. This is a hands-on position that requires effective communication, high judgment, leadership of manufacturing production operations including the fabrication shop, heat treat and welding. This Leader will have the responsibility of the development and qualification of manufacturing production capabilities and root cause curiosity to drive continuous improvement. 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:

• Oversee reliable and predictable production of machined and welded parts for launch and space vehicle subsystems at the Florida site

• Lead multiple teams of personnel responsible for delivering on-time completion of development and production hardware

• Establish and maintain systems of process control for machines, material, processes, tools, and people

• Collaborate with internal customers and manufacturing planning teams and define capacity planning actions to meet customer needs and expectations; forecast and develop improvement plans for constrained work centers to achieve demand plan

• Lead and develop the fabrication manufacturing leaders to include: recruiting, talent development, training, and coaching

• Oversee and drive the measurement, analysis, reporting, and improvement of work center and team performance

• Take ownership of interfaces with other sites and other business functions to drive improvements to increase the overall effectiveness of the manufacturing system across Blue Origin

• Instill a culture of continuous improvement through opportunity identification, root cause analysis, and corrective actions to reduce cost and cycle times

• Own all area KPI’s and supporting process improvements, continually raining the bar on performance expectations

• Define, manage, plan, and monitor budgets and schedules for raw material, operational expenses, labor, and capital projects

• Maintain manufacturing schedule and overcome barriers to meet customer expectations; collaborate with team members (across sites) to address capacity and scheduling conflicts

• Participate in company-wide process definition and improvement for manufacturing processes, business processes, production planning, lessons learned, and other standards/processes as needed

• Implement the Blue Production System to build a production framework that supports World-Class capabilities and fosters One Blue culture

Qualifications:

• 10+ yrs in a leadership position in machining/fabrication.

• 15+ yrs experience with progressive responsibilities in manufacturing in an area such as launch vehicles, spacecraft, aircraft, automotive, medical devices, power generation systems, semiconductors, or electronics

• Experience in all the fabrication methods of manufacturing within the aerospace environment in production and/or prototyping environments with demonstrated hands on skills in steel fabrication.

• 8+ years in a hands-on position in all the applications to manufacture complex tooling and or fixturing, all structural fabrication processes, part processing, heat treating, post processing, CAD/CAM, tooling and fixture design, and experience with all types of materials from aluminum through nickel based alloys.

• Quality mindset with special attention to safety and mission-critical product and/or manufacturing process attributes

• 5+ years personnel leadership, management, and mentoring skills.

• Ability to oversee and guide root cause analysis efforts

• Experience leading and managing teams on fast-paced, complex projects

• Familiarity with best practices for certification, qualification, and training of manufacturing operations personnel

• Understanding and utilization of production scheduling, MRP/ERP systems

• Understanding and utilization of statistical process control

• Adept in process definition, development, deployment, measurement, and improvement

• Practiced with job-hazard analysis and other safety analysis practices

• Skilled in customer relations and expectation management

• Familiarity with best practices and tools related to manufacturing drawings, work orders, inventory systems, production control

• 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

Desired:

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in an engineering or manufacturing field. Master’s degree, MBA, or a degree in machining/tool & die is a plus

• Experience managing high-mix, low-volume production activities

• Hands-on experience planning and conducting hazardous or critical operations in a safe and effective manner

• Experienced with the design, analysis, qualification, and production of manufactured components

• Experience transitioning manufacturing capabilities from development/acquisition to production

• Knowledge of fabrication processes, integration processes, systems engineering best practices, test, quality and configuration management systems

• Experience managing facility level capital improvements and upgrades

• Experience machining nickel-based stainless steel alloys, copper, titanium with tight tolerances on high value components (remove this, covered above)

• 3+ years management of large budgets or profit/loss at a department, program, project or higher level(s).

• 3+ years project management, schedule management, and team leadership skills.

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.