Director of Technology, VAST

About the role

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical vision and multi-year roadmap for valves, actuators, QDs, umbilical panels, and enabling materials/manufacturing technologies aligned to New Glenn program needs and enterprise strategy.
• Serve as the technical authority for the product family: define standards, architectures, design practices, qualification strategies, and acceptance criteria for safety critical flight and ground hardware.
• Lead and develop a high-performing organization spanning M&P, technology development, and manufacturing specialists; attract, grow, and retain top talent; build succession plans.
• Own end-to-end lifecycle accountability from concept and requirements through detailed design, analysis, test, certification, production ramp, field support, and continuous improvement.
• Drive short term, high urgency problem solving (e.g., test escapes, build stoppages, launch site issues) using disciplined engineering methods: RCAs, DFMEA/PFMEA, FRACAS, corrective/preventive actions.
• Build long term capability through technology maturation (TRL), prototyping, qualification campaigns, and insertion plans; derisk future architectures with early test and analysis.
• Interface with the New Glenn program team and customers: manage requirements and ICDs, changes, technical baseline, risk, and deliverables; represent the organization in design/production readiness reviews.
• Partner cross-functionally with Systems, Avionics, GSE, Test, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations to ensure robust system integration, manufacturability, and launch/mission readiness.
• Oversee materials and processes stewardship: selection and qualification, coatings, seals, contamination control, NDE, failure analysis, and special processes compliance.
• Advance manufacturing excellence: process development, machining and assembly standards, cleanliness, torque/seal practices, pneumatics/hydraulics test methods, design for manufacturability and reliability.
• Establish engineering and production metrics; use data to drive reliability growth, cycle-time reduction, and cost improvements while meeting safety and compliance requirements.
• Ensure configuration management, PLM rigor, and change control; chair or contribute to CCB/MRB as needed.
• Champion Blue’s culture of safety, quality, inclusion, and mission focus.

  Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Materials, or related engineering field; advanced degree preferred.
  • 12+ years of experience delivering complex, safety critical hardware for launch vehicles, spacecraft, or analogous high reliability industries.
  • 5+ years of technical leadership managing multi-disciplinary engineering teams and organizations.
  • Demonstrated expertise in fluid system components and mechanisms (e.g., cryogenic/HP valves, electromechanical/hydraulic actuators, QDs, umbilical panels) from design through qualification and production.
  • Strong systems engineering background: requirements flow down, interface control, verification/validation, hazards analysis, and reliability engineering.
  • Prominent track record managing urgent issue resolution and driving sustained continuous improvement.
  • Familiarity with cryogenic propellants, high pressure gases, contamination control, leak/flow testing, and environmental qualification (vibe, thermal, EMC).
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; able to influence across program, supply chain, test, and operations.

  Qualifications

  • 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.

  Skills

  • Fluid system components and mechanisms (e.g., cryogenic/HP valves, electromechanical/hydraulic actuators, QDs, umbilical panels).
  • Systems engineering background: requirements flow down, interface control, verification/validation, hazards analysis, and reliability engineering.
  • Cryogenic propellants, high pressure gases, contamination control, leak/flow testing, and environmental qualification (vibe, thermal, EMC).
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

  Benefits

  • 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%.
  • 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.
  • Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week).

  Pay

  Base Pay Range For WA applicants is $218,262.00 - $305,566.80

  Schedule

  N/A