Director of DFX, Design for Manufacturing Mechanical

About the role

This role is part of Blue Origin Operations, which includes Integrated Supply Chain, Test Operations, Safety, Quality, and Mission Assurance. It also encompasses Manufacturing and Supply Chain support across all Blue Origin facilities.

Responsibilities

• 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
• 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

Requirements

• 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
• 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

Qualifications

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

Skills

• Experience in mechanical DFX methodologies - DFM, DFA, DFR, GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and statistically based DOE
• Expertise in factory automation, failure analysis, process development, and yield improvement
• Ability to shape product design decisions early in the development cycle
• Leadership and management experience in engineering teams
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Benefits

• Base Pay Range For CA applicants is $233,934.00 - $327,506.55
• Other Site Ranges May Differ
• Culture Statement
• 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.
• 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.

Pay

Base Pay Range For CA applicants is $233,934.00 - $327,506.55

Schedule

Not specified