University Partnerships Lead
About the role
This role is part of Blue Origin corporate functions, providing centralized support across Blue Origin business unit teams, functions, and locations. Blue Origin's early career strategy is evolving — from showing up on campus to being embedded in it. As the University Partnerships Lead, you will serve as the single-threaded leader responsible for building the institutional depth that makes Blue Origin indispensable to the academic communities producing our next generation of engineers, operators, and leaders.
Key Responsibilities
Own and evolve Blue Origin's university partnership strategy, including portfolio governance, school tiering, engagement frameworks, and investment evaluation
Lead the Blue Scholars program end-to-end — a CEO-championed initiative embedding world-class faculty into Blue Origin technical teams — including faculty selection, funding model design, legal and IP coordination, and talent pipeline conversion
Own the hiring architecture for MBA and PhD pipelines, including institutional relationships, on-campus presence, candidate routing, and centralized intake infrastructure
Manage a feasibility study on a Blue Origin PhD fellowship program, including funding models, IP frameworks, and conversion pathway design
Manage advisory board strategy at target institutions and serve as Blue Origin's primary liaison to academic leadership — deans, department chairs, and research directors
Partner with Campus Engagement, Early Career Programs, and senior technical leaders to ensure complementary, non-duplicative ownership across the university portfolio
Deliver regular reporting on partnership outcomes, pipeline health, and investment ROI to executive leadership
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or 10 years of equivalent experience
7+ years in university recruiting, academic partnerships, research program management, or early talent strategy
Proven ability to build and sustain relationships with academic and senior internal leadership
Deep understanding of university research structures, sponsored research mechanisms, and faculty engagement models
Experience influencing compensation frameworks or talent integration models for specialized technical populations
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level presentations
Demonstrated ability to define strategy independently in ambiguous, high-visibility environments
Ability to define strategy independently in ambiguous, high-visibility environments
Comfort operating in an environment where AI fluency is an expectation, not an advantage
Preferred Qualifications
Experience scaling a university research partnership, fellowship, or faculty engagement program at a technology or aerospace company
Familiarity with sponsored research contracting and university IP frameworks
Experience with highly selective graduate leadership programs such as MIT LGO or peer institutions
Track record of translating academic investment into measurable recruiting pipeline outcomes
Deep technical fluency in aerospace or engineering domains
Passion for Blue Origin's mission and a genuine belief in the long-term strategic value of academic investment