Engines AI Program Execution & Design Implementation Lead

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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 the Blue Origin Engines business unit, where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of engines and propulsion systems. Built for multiple uses, our family of engines is powering the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight.

This key role is part of the Blue Origin Engines business unit where our focus is the design, development, manufacturing, testing and flight support of cost-optimized engines and propulsion systems.  In this role you will be a major influencer in defining how the Engines BU program operating systems are enabled using Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) technologies, thereby directly impacting how the Engines Business Unit operates - and in doing so you will directly impact the history of space exploration.

As the BU leader for AI-enabled program execution, you will be evangelizing advanced tools, processes and methods to a dedicated team of highly specialized & experienced engineers, program and business leaders.  You will hold a critical role in understanding the spectrum of tools/ capabilities available within Blue, and leading tool selection, process/tool usage alignment, piloting and deployment of AI tools & AI-enabled workflow tasks to drive improved program execution, including engine design & development processes.  Where appropriate, you will manage discrete tool/ process deployment projects, ensuring scrappy execution while maintaining a tight grip on all project deliverables needed to meet BU & program objectives. Identifying and mitigating AI technology & tool deployment risks are critical tasks, and you'll need to effectively communicate these to both program & business leadership when the appropriate solutions are beyond your immediate control.

This critical role oversees the application and execution of specialty AI-aligned tools & workflows to the Engine program teams and their products. This entails developing a robust understanding of tool capability & use cases to ensure program execution and product design & development processes yield products that meets negotiated customer requirements and adheres to internal design criteria, including producibility, product cost, life cycle cost and other key product attributes squarely aligned to lowering the cost of access to space. You'll be accountable for guiding AI tool application to complex interdisciplinary engineering tasks and execution within the AI-enable environment that leads to overall system development & qualification success.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the AI/ML strategy for Engines program execution, including engine design optimization.
• Collaborate with program leaders to understand current business problems & explain how AI/ML-aligned tools provide appropriate technical solutions.
• Understand the depth & breadth of technologies available to Blue Engines, advocate targeted AI/ML adoption & work with BU/program/ESE&I SME stakeholders to ensure these technologies are developed/matured based on transparent stack-ranked program-aligned value criteria.
• Partner with stakeholders to deliver established methods/workflows & mentor engineers in appropriate AI/ML usage to realize the benefits of these methods/workflows.
• Partner across Blue Origin BUs & supporting Functions to share use cases showcasing the benefits of AI/ML adoption.  Actively share learnings and best practices across Blue.
• Maintain a very high level of familiarity with AI technologies/ best practices applicable to Blue Engines.  This includes AI industry engagement and attending seminars/ conferences as appropriate to maintain leading-edge knowledge aligned to the Engines business.
• Research, identify, assess, and validate emerging technologies to continuously increase the team’s ML and AI capabilities.
• Where appropriate, write code that supports implementation of NLP & LLM models and algorithms.  Develop best practices to ensure high quality, scalability, and reliability – and mentor Engines personnel in these established best practices.
• Work within the Engines Agile environment to deliver fast-paced solutions that meet the needs of the business.
• Maintain appropriate metrics on AI/ML adoption/usage within the Engines BU.
• Travel as appropriate 1-2 times per quarter to Blue sites, conference, seminars.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Extreme passion for using AI/ML as an enabler in a complex product development environment.
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Engineering or STEM/technical field
• 8+ years of experience in a relevant engineering field, with significant experience in design & development of rocket propulsion systems, including knowledge across relevant engineering disciplines, including requirements, design, analysis, manufacturing, testing and vehicle integration.
• Solid understanding of leading-edge AI, statistical and machine learning (ML) techniques; experience with supervised, unsupervised, generative, semi-supervised, self-supervised modeling approaches.
• Familiarity with industry-leading tools in both the AI/ML & rocket engine design/development domains:  GPT, LLM, ANSYS, aPriori, Jules, Windchill/Creo.
• Proven track record of leading and managing teams to deliver complex rocket engine system/ component designs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and drive continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters or PhD in CS, Physics, Math, Engineering, or other STEM fields.
• Ability to deploy solutions using tools such as GitLab, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, and familiarity with visualization tools like Plotly/Dash, Javascript/D3/Go.js, and Streamlit. Comfortable working with both structured and unstructured data; experience with SQL, REST APIs, and custom scripting.
• Experience with Agile, IMP-level scheduling, risk management, configuration management, requirements management processes.
• Hands-on experience with the development lifecycle of propulsion components and systems.

 

Compensation Range for:

WA applicants is $140,959.00-$197,342.25

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

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.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a 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.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check

• Required for Certain Job Profiles:  Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation

• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.

• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.

California Applicant Privacy Notice

If you are a California resident, please reference the CA Applicant Privacy Notice here.