Engineering Operations Manager – Solar Center of 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 Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

As part of a hardworking team of technicians and engineers, you will own the factory infrastructure, equipment lifecycle, and business-system integration behind Blue Origin's Solar Center of Excellence (Solar COE) production capability, leading Operations Engineers and Technicians from facility build-out through high-rate production of high-performance space solar modules.

This highly visible role spans operations, engineering, and information systems. You bring production-floor credibility, systems thinking, and the drive to eliminate downtime, compress equipment delivery cycles, and build the digital backbone (MES, ERP, mBOM) that lets the Solar COE scale.

Responsibilities:

Facility Setup & Readiness

- Own facility setup for the Solar COE production floor: space planning, utilities (power, ESD, cleanroom zoning), and phased buildout aligned to ramp milestones.
- Maintain the Facility Readiness Matrix, tracking civil, MEP, and infrastructure deliverables against equipment installation schedules.
- Partner with Facilities, EHS, and Site Operations to meet safety and workmanship standards; define zone acceptance criteria and drive walk-downs, punch-list closure, and handoff to Production.

Equipment Setup, Delivery & Qualification

- Own the equipment lifecycle for Solar COE production assets: sourcing support, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), shipping, installation, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and production qualification.
- Maintain the Equipment Master Register: asset status, warranty, calibration, preventive maintenance, and spares for production and metrology equipment.
- Develop Equipment Installation Plans for each new asset, coordinating utilities, personnel, software, and tooling for on-schedule first-article capability. Track deliveries and mitigate critical-path risks.

Business-System Infrastructure (MES, ERP, Jules & Digital Backbone)

- Lead setup and deployment of the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for the Solar COE, including traveler workflows, genealogy/traceability, electronic work instructions (EWI), and production data collection.
- Integrate MES, ERP, PLM, and quality systems for a paperless data flow from order release through final test and ship.
- Work with IT and Digital Manufacturing to prioritize Solar COE enhancements and resolve integration issues.
- Define and monitor system KPIs: traveler completion rate, data-entry cycle time, genealogy completeness, and MES-ERP sync accuracy.
- Partner with Manufacturing Engineers to translate eBOMs into manufacturing BOMs (mBOMs), including routings, work centers, and labor standards.

Equipment Reliability & Downtime Reduction

- Establish and own the Solar COE Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) framework, set baselines, and lead cross-functional OEE improvement.
- Build a preventive and predictive Planned Maintenance (PM) program for all production, metrology, and test equipment; set availability targets, track compliance, and escalate gaps.
- Lead root-cause analysis (5-Why, Fishbone, Fault Tree Analysis) for repetitive equipment failures and verify corrective action effectiveness.
- Manage critical spares and supplier SLAs to minimize mean time to repair (MTTR).

Development & New Product Introduction (NPI) Support

- This role bridges steady-state production and the Development & NPI team, ensuring smooth transition of new products and process changes into production.
- Provide operations readiness input at NPI gate reviews: facility, equipment, tooling, and system status against milestones.
- Own the critical-path equipment schedule within the NPI program plan and report delivery progress.
- Escalate compliance issues and bottlenecks (EHS, FOD, calibration, quality escapes) that could delay NPI transition or production release.
- Give Development capacity, cycle time, and equipment utilization data to inform Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Assembly (DFA) decisions.
- Own the operations readiness checklist for Production Readiness Reviews (PRR) and support pilot-line builds with staffing, equipment access, and process documentation.

Team & Leadership

- Manage Operations Engineers and Production Technicians supporting facility operations, equipment maintenance, and system administration.
- Set performance expectations and development goals; conduct regular 1:1s and formal reviews. Foster continuous improvement, safety ownership, and data-driven decisions.

Minimum Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or a closely related field.
- 10+ years of progressive manufacturing or production operations experience, owning facility setup, equipment deployment, or factory infrastructure programs.
- Verifiable experience supporting mid- or high-rate production lines.
- Hands-on MES configuration, deployment, or administration, including routing, electronic work instructions, and traceability.
- Experience creating and managing mBOMs in a PLM or ERP system (Windchill, Arena, SAP, Oracle, or equivalent).
- Leadership of engineering and/or technician teams in a production setting.
- Experience with equipment FAT/SAT, production qualification, and OEE/uptime improvement.
- Strong project management: scheduling, risk tracking, stakeholder communication, and cross-functional coordination.
- 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

- Aerospace, defense, or space manufacturing experience (AS9100, MIL-SPEC, or equivalent).
- Solar module, solar array, or photovoltaic (PV) production experience.
- Capital equipment installation and commissioning in a precision or clean manufacturing environment.
- Digital manufacturing infrastructure experience: ERP-MES integration, IoT equipment monitoring, SCADA, or digital twins.
- Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt); VSM or similar methods.
- NPI experience in an operations capacity, including DFM/DFA, pilot builds, and PRRs.
- Proficiency with MS Project, Smartsheet, JIRA, and PLM, ERP, and MES systems.
- PMP (or equivalent) certification, Master’s degree in Engineering or Engineering Management, or MBA is a plus.

Special Mentions

- Relocation provided
- Travel expected (up to 25% during ramp, ~10% steady-state)
- Interviews will include a technical assessment

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.