Sr. Director, Volume Manufacturing Strategy

Blue Origin · Hutto, TX

Level: Director+
Team: Manufacturing
Experience asked: 15+ years
Industry: Aerospace & defense
Posted: Yesterday

The role in 30 seconds

A director-level manufacturing role at Blue Origin (aerospace & defense) in Hutto, TX. Proven track record of scaling production systems from low-rate initial production or development runs to hi.

They ask for: 15+ years
Tools it names: Automation, Machining, Plant layout, Tooling

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of October 26, 2026

Manufacturing Engineer roles in Texas: typical posted base $79k–$132k.

Median of the low and high ends of 35 live postings that list pay, out of 159 manufacturing engineer openings in Texas, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Texas plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 158 other live manufacturing postings in Texas.

Base pay: Not listed in this posting
Experience asked: More than usual (15+ vs 5+)

Skills these teams ask for most

✓ Tooling 57%
Root cause 50%
Lean 39%
✓ New product launch 38%
✓ Automation 36%
Six Sigma 29%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for Plant layout, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 15+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Blue Origin
We found 3 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Sanford → (free)
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: Blue Origin in Hutto

No other open roles at this site right now · 3 people we found in manufacturing roles at Blue Origin.

Full description from Blue OriginAs posted on their careers site.Show

Responsibilities

◆Oversee site appearance, maintenance, and safety standards. Drive continuous improvement initiatives for site conditions and operational efficiency, drawing on hands-on experience scaling complex manufacturing environments from development-scale operations to the highest-rate production facilities in the industry. Coordinate with facilities management to address infrastructure needs and improvements, including large-scale factory expansions and new capability buildouts constructed concurrently with active product development cycles. Drive a safety culture through participation in onboarding and other communication vehicles.
◆Ensure site security protocols are followed. Partner with internal stakeholders to determine and communicate site restrictions, closure and reopening status related to launch processes, product testing, or weather-related incidents. Ensure proper management of facility tours and dignitary visits, including government and executive-level engagements.
◆Determine site space utilization including office-space planning, production floor layout, material movement, and storage requirements. Apply hands-on experience with factory layout design, work center optimization, and production flow — including standing up machining work centers capable of single-digit micron level tolerances on critical products — to maximize throughput and support rapid scaling across multiple concurrent production programs.
◆Lead all hardware and site operations end-to-end, including manufacturing and production, site planning and expansion, and business operations liaison responsibilities. Own the full scope of manufacturing disciplines across the site: integration & test, manufacturing engineering, development test, development machining and fabrication, tooling, automation, and production. Apply experience successfully scaling a factory from a development run of tens of units to a rate of 30–45 units per week — the kind of step-change growth this role is expected to drive.
◆In partnership with engagement teams, Business Resource Groups, or other planning teams, take ownership of site-wide engagement initiatives to foster an inclusive, high-performance culture. Leverage experience managing large, cross-functional technical teams spanning engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality, tooling, automation, and operations. Maintain regular communication channels (distribution lists, wiki pages) to inform and engage the site population.
◆In partnership with the sales and marketing team, serve as the primary site representative with local government officials and community organizations. Represent Blue Origin at local events, industry events, and local government forums. Collaborate on public relations matters specific to the manufacturing site.
◆Coordinate preparation and communication of monthly site operational results to product line and business leaders. Participate in operational reviews including safety meetings, internal and external audits. Bring demonstrated experience delivering operational results in high-cadence, mission-critical production environments, including serving as a primary quality and operations representative during anomaly investigations and return-to-flight activities.
◆Champion company values and ensure alignment between corporate vision and site execution, including bridging product development and manufacturing to support aggressive production ramp timelines. Apply experience building new factory capacity concurrently with product design to hit projected launch cadence targets without sacrificing quality or schedule.

Qualifications

✓15+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing environments, preferably within aerospace, space systems, or similarly complex high-reliability industries
✓Demonstrated experience personally leading all aspects of a manufacturing site, including production operations, manufacturing engineering, site planning and expansion, facility buildout, tooling, automation, and business operations — including day-to-day office and site management

responsibilities

◆Proven track record of scaling production systems from low-rate initial production or development runs to hi

Show full 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 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.

The Sr Director, Volume Manufacturing Strategy serves as the leader and representative for TeraWave Manufacturing locations and is responsible for leading all aspects of a high-rate production site spanning the systematic planning, release, scheduling and coordinating of manufacturing activities. This includes coordinating and expediting the flow of work and materials within or between departments according to the production schedule and coordination of hardware between work centers and sites. This leader will own manufacturing readiness spanning integration & test, manufacturing engineering, development test, development machining and fabrication, tooling, automation, and production — while simultaneously managing site planning, facility expansion, business operations, and day-to-day office management. They will ensure facility standards, cultivate a positive site culture, and maintain strong community relationships. This leadership role balances operational excellence with strategic community integration while representing the company's mission and values.

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