Director, Design Quality

Application close date:

10/1/2026

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.

Director of Design Quality is a hands-on hardware quality leader who believes that quality must be designed in, not inspected out. You will build and lead the Design Quality function from the ground up, embedding quality rigor into every phase of the product development lifecycle from concept through mass production. At the heart of this role is ownership of the maturity gate framework, the mechanism that defines what "ready" looks like at every phase transition and serves as the independent check that ensures our hardware programs meet the standards required before moving forward. You will set cross-program quality standards, own the supplier quality function, and serve as the enterprise authority on design quality governance across all connectivity and communications hardware programs.

About the Team

The TeraWave Design Quality team is responsible for ensuring that quality is built into every phase of one of the world's most advanced satellite manufacturing programs, from early concept through mass production. We own the maturity gate framework, set cross-program quality standards, and serve as the independent check that ensures our hardware programs are truly ready before they advance. Embedded at the intersection of engineering and manufacturing operations, our team is a critical enabler of program success and the long-term reliability of the TeraWave constellation.

What You'll Do

• Define and own the design and manufacturing quality strategy across all NPI and volume production phases, serving as the enterprise quality authority from early concept through mass production

• Own and enforce the maturity gate framework, defining what "ready" looks like at every phase transition and serving as the independent readiness check before any program moves forward

• Establish cross-program quality governance standards spanning design gates (PDR, CDR, TRR) and manufacturing gates (PRR, Production Readiness, Rate Readiness), ensuring no gaps across customer, internal, and regulatory requirements

• Lead design quality engineering across the full product development lifecycle, owning qualification and acceptance test criteria, FAI/AS9102 processes, configuration management, and engineering change control

• Own the manufacturing quality function, including PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC/SQC, MSA/Gauge R&R, NDT/NDI, ATP development, and sampling plans from first article through rate production

• Own MRB authority and NADCAP accreditation, governing nonconformance disposition, special process oversight, and corrective action across all programs

• Own the supplier quality function, driving qualification requirements, source inspection, audits, scorecards, and corrective action processes to prevent escapes

• Own the internal audit program and serve as the primary interface with government quality representatives, customer source inspectors, and third-party auditors, ensuring compliance with AS9100, IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, NADCAP, and applicable MIL-SPEC requirements

• Drive measurable first-pass yield improvement and cost of poor quality reduction, building a quality-first production floor culture grounded in Lean and Six Sigma principles

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing Design Quality organization, defining team structure, hiring top talent, and owning the quality tools and systems strategy needed to scale effectively
  

Minimum Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing quality, or mission assurance in an aerospace, defense, or high-complexity hardware manufacturing environment, with at least 8 years leading quality teams
• Minimum B.S. degree in Engineering or a related technical field (Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or Systems Engineering preferred)
• Hands-on experience with AS9100 Quality Management Systems, Process FMEA (PFMEA), Control Plans, design review processes (PDR, CDR, PRR, TRR), and root cause/corrective action methodologies
• Experience with First Article Inspection (AS9102), conf