Director – Avionics Software Development

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 the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight.

This role will lead a team developing software for multiple avionics controllers used across New Glenn, Lunar, and Engines Business Units. You will manage project execution, ensuring scrappy and cost-effective solutions, while maintaining a tight grip on all project deliverables needed to meet program objectives. Identifying and mitigating risks are critical tasks, and you'll need to effectively communicate these to program and business leadership when the appropriate solutions are beyond your immediate control.

You will be responsible for the people management aspect of your team, covering the full employee life cycle from hiring and development to stringent & thoughtful performance management. Hiring the right talent, fostering their growth, and ensuring they are well-coached is essential for maintaining a high-functioning team. You'll be actively engaged in creating a positive and productive team culture that adheres to all required HR processes and policies.

Responsibilities:

• Product Delivery:
  • Manage your project scope by ensuring scrappy and cost-effective execution for customers while maintaining a tight grip on the project deliverables needed to meet program objectives.
  • Establish common software architecture and manage product roadmaps for each program’s software product.
  • Identify and manage technical and programmatic risks/opportunities. This includes technical, scope (i.e., cost and schedule), asset and safety risks and opportunities specific to program and project execution.  Risk management includes identifying, documenting, communicating, developing mitigation plans and collaborating with your peers & program leaders to drive outcomes to program acceptable levels.
  • Coordinate and partner with Enterprise functions such as Software Quality Assurance, Safety and Mission Assurance, and Enterprise Technology to drive product development/maintenance cost/cycle time and meet delivery objectives.
  • Track and manage your team execution, and both unit product life cycle cost.
  • Create the framework used to develop and drive collection of project data and use this data to inform & monitor key project metrics.
  • Partner with other Business Units and centralized Blue software teams on driving software and software tool commonality and efficiency.

• Technical Leadership:
  • Develop and oversee the technical plan, ensuring it aligns to both negotiated customer requirements and internal design criteria.
  • Own the overall lifecycle of all avionics software products from development through qualification/ rate production and successful cost-optimized commercial flight operations.
  • Manage interdisciplinary engineering tasks for overall system success.
  • Ensure the quality of engineering outputs, providing technical direction and guidance to the team.
  • Support requirement decomposition and allocation, systems engineering, technical design, analysis, and verification/validation – including strong management and bi-directional alignment of interfaces between customers and project technical efforts.

• Functional Management:
  • Oversee the full lifecycle of your employees including talent acquisition, employee development, and when needed, performance management.
  • Foster an environment of continuous growth and learning, ensuring compliance with HR processes and policies.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Proven track record of leading and managing teams to deliver complex safety critical embedded software products.
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Engineering or technical field, or in lieu of a technical degree, must show significant demonstrated experience leading teams designing/ developing complex engineered products.
• 10+ years of experience in a relevant engineering field, with significant experience in avionics and/or embedded software product development and maintenance.
• 5+ years of project management and/or management experience.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Agile, IMP-level scheduling, risk management, configuration management, requirements management processes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and drive continuous improvement.
• Familiarity with industry-leading software development tools
• Hands-on experience with the development lifecycle of avionics and/or embedded software and safety critical systems.

Base Pay Range for:

WA applicants is $233,934.00 - $327,506.55

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.