Director of DFX, Design for Manufacturing Mechanical

Application close date:

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! 

Blue Origin's TeraWave Operations is architecting a first-of-its-kind satellite connectivity manufacturing capability, and we are seeking a Director of DFX, Design for Manufacturing Mechanical to shape how it is built.

You will be at the center of translating cutting-edge hardware designs into scalable, high-quality manufacturing processes - from NPI through full rate production - while driving Design for Excellence principles across mechanical systems including Design for Assembly, Design for Manufacturability, mechanical tolerancing, structural design optimization, and Design for Reliability at the component and assembly level. Working in close partnership with engineering, product, and operations leadership, you will ensure that what we design can be manufactured with precision, reliability, and velocity at scale.

• Define and own the DFM and DFX - Mechanical strategy, guiding programs from the earliest concept stages through mass production
• Champion DFX principles across mechanical systems - DFA, DFM, DFR, and DFC - embedding them deeply into the product development process before design decisions become costly to reverse
• Spearhead NPI efforts including prototype builds, prototype facility stand-up, factory line development, and the seamless transition to full rate production
• Serve as a strategic partner to hardware engineering teams, leveraging simulation, tolerance stack-up analysis, GD&T, and DOE to drive design decisions that elevate manufacturability, testability, reliability, yield, and cost performance
• Architect and scale factory automation strategies - including modular and reconfigurable approaches - to accelerate production ramp across varying program volumes
• Recruit, develop, and inspire a world-class DFM and DFX engineering team, cultivating a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement
• Establish robust manufacturing assembly processes spanning mechanical, electronic, molding, stamping, forming, and machining disciplines
• Define and enforce rigorous mechanical DFX review gates throughout the product development lifecycle, proactively identifying and eliminating tolerance, assembly, and reliability risks before they reach the factory floor
• Lead failure analysis and corrective action processes that drive measurable improvements in quality, throughput, and FPY outcomes
• Collaborate with global supply chain and supplier partners to align on process requirements and manufacturing readiness at every stage
• Define, track, and communicate key manufacturing and DFX metrics, translating operational performance into clear insights for senior leadership

• 15+ years of experience in consumer electronics or hardware manufacturing engineering, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
• Exceptional depth in NPI, prototype facility stand-up, factory line development, and manufacturing assembly across complex mechanical and electronic systems
• A distinguished track record of applying mechanical DFX methodologies - DFM, DFA, DFR, GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and statistically based DOE - across high-complexity hardware programs
• Demonstrated success standing up manufacturing operations and prototype facilities from the ground up and scaling them to high volume production
• Commanding expertise in factory automation, failure analysis, process development, and yield improvement with measurable cost savings and FPY results to show for it
• A proven ability to shape product design decisions early in the development cycle, mitigating downstream manufacturing and quality risk before it materializes
• A history of building and leading high-performing, globally distributed engineering organizations
• A collaborative, cross-functional mindset with deep experience partnering across product, engineering, supply chain, and operations
• Exceptional communication skills and executive presence with the ability to influence and inspire across all levels of an organization

• Experience in satellite, aerospace, or defense hardware manufacturing
• Background in high-precision mechanical assembly manufacturing for complex hardware programs
• Multilingual capabilities supporting global supplier and manufacturing partner relationships
• Experience managing programs across US and Asia-based manufacturing sites
• Hands-on proficiency with mechanical simulation, tolerance analysis tools, and structured design review processes such as DFMEA for mechanical assemblies

Base Pay Range for:

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.