Blue Origin

EMC/EMI Team Sr. Manager

Blue Origin • $183K — $257K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related field.
  • 10+ years in managing Electromagnetics teams or labs, showing growth in leadership.
  • 5+ years of direct personnel management experience.
  • Experience overseeing EMC analysis and vehicle-level testing in aerospace.
  • Proven management of Annual Operating Plans and budget oversight.

Responsibilities

  • Build and lead a high-performing team of EMC/EMI engineers and support staff.
  • Conduct coaching and career development for team members.
  • Direct daily operations of the EMC/EMI test facility, ensuring efficient workflows.
  • Develop and improve standard operating procedures for laboratory processes.
  • Manage budget development and oversee capital expenditure.
  • Create and maintain the master schedule for testing and analysis activities.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for customers regarding EMC/EMI services.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options available.
  • Paid parental leave and short/long-term disability coverage.
  • 401(k) with a 5% company match and stock options for eligible employees.
  • Up to four weeks of paid time off and 14 paid holidays.
  • Education support program available for employee development.
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin's mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

Blue Origin is seeking a highly skilled and experienced EMC/EMI Team Manager to join our elite team of experts on the Engineering Center of Excellence Electromagnetics team. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of space exploration by leading the operations, personnel, and strategic direction of our state-of-the-art EMC/EMI test facility. Your leadership will be pivotal in managing laboratory infrastructure, building and developing high-performing teams, overseeing budget and resource planning, and ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality EMC analysis, component-level testing, and vehicle-level EMC/EMI test and verification results across our advanced aerospace programs.

We are a small team of Electromagnetic problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to technical ambition, culture, and safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and reusable space vehicles. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth.

The ideal candidate is a self-motivated leader with deep experience managing Electromagnetics organizations, a strong track record of developing people and processes, and the confidence to respectfully challenge decisions while fully committing to the team's chosen path forward.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • People Leadership & Team Development
  • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of EMC/EMI test engineers, laboratory engineers, and support staff capable of executing both component-level and vehicle-level EMC test and analysis programs
  • Provide ongoing coaching, mentorship, and career development guidance to team members at all levels
  • Conduct regular performance reviews, set clear expectations, and foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence
  • Lead workforce planning activities including hiring, onboarding, and retention strategies to ensure appropriate staffing levels across all laboratory and vehicle test programs
  • Champion a team culture grounded in safety, inclusion, and self-motivation
  • Mentor and develop future leaders within the Electromagnetics organization
  • Laboratory Operations & Process Management
  • Direct day-to-day and long-range operations of the Blue Origin EMC/EMI test facility, ensuring efficient workflow, resource utilization, and consistent delivery of high-quality results across bench-level testing, EMC analysis activities, and vehicle-level EMC test campaigns
  • Establish, own, and continuously improve laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and quality management processes in compliance with internal and external standards, including processes tailored to vehicle integration and test environments
  • Lead laboratory readiness reviews and support audits, accreditation activities, and external customer assessments of laboratory and vehicle test capability
  • Maintain laboratory safety protocols and ensure full compliance with Blue Origin Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) requirements and applicable regulatory standards, including safety requirements unique to vehicle-level test environments
  • Oversee implementation of preventive maintenance and calibration programs, ensuring laboratory uptime and equipment availability are maximized during critical test campaigns
  • Evaluate and champion adoption of new processes, technologies, and automation platforms to drive continuous improvement in laboratory efficiency, EMC analysis capability, and vehicle test output quality
  • Budget & Resource Management
  • Own and manage the team Annual Operating Plan (AOP), including budget development, cost tracking, variance analysis, and regular budget reviews with program stakeholders and organizational leadership, encompassing both laboratory operations and vehicle-level test support activities
  • Ensure responsible stewardship of capital and operating expenditures across equipment procurement, maintenance contracts, calibration services, and consumables
  • Develop business cases for capital equipment investments and facility improvements supporting both EMC analysis tools and vehicle test capabilities, presenting recommendations to leadership with clear cost-benefit analysis
  • Manage laboratory vendor and supplier relationships, including contract oversight and performance accountability
  • Schedule & Conflict Management
  • Develop and maintain the team master schedule, integrating inputs from multiple concurrent programs across component EMC testing, EMC analysis deliverables, and vehicle-level test campaigns
  • Proactively identify schedule conflicts and resource constraints across competing test and analysis activities, developing mitigation strategies and communicating resolution plans clearly to all affected stakeholders
  • Facilitate prioritization discussions with program managers and customers when schedule conflicts arise, driving timely decisions that protect overall program commitments
  • Monitor schedule performance and communicate status, risks, and mitigation actions to leadership and customers in a transparent and timely manner
  • Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external customers seeking EMC/EMI laboratory services, vehicle test support, and EMC analysis products, ensuring clear communication of capabilities, capacity, timelines, and deliverable status
  • Work closely with program teams to understand test and analysis requirements, establish realistic schedules, and align team resources to meet commitments across all phases of vehicle development and verification
  • Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships across engineering, program management, and operations organizations
  • Deliver high-level briefings and status presentations on team performance, EMC analysis results, vehicle test outcomes, budget, schedule, and strategic initiatives to review boards and executive stakeholders
  • Strategic Leadership
  • Define and execute the long-range vision and roadmap for the EMC/EMI team, including capability development across EMC analysis, laboratory testing, and vehicle-level EMC test operations, as well as facility improvements and workforce growth
  • Navigate technical and programmatic disagreements with confidence and professionalism - actively advocate for well-reasoned positions, then fully commit to and execute the team's agreed-upon direction
  • Demonstrate self-motivation and ownership in identifying organizational gaps across analysis, test, and vehicle integration activities, and drive initiatives forward with minimal direction
  • Collaborate across functional organizations to align team strategy with broader Blue Origin engineering and program objectives


Minimum Qualifications
  • Minimum of a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline
  • 10+ years of experience managing Electromagnetics engineering teams, programs, or laboratory organizations, with demonstrated growth in scope and leadership responsibility
  • 5+ years of direct personnel management experience, including hiring, performance management, and career development
  • Demonstrated experience overseeing EMC analysis programs and vehicle-level EMC/EMI test campaigns in an aerospace environment
  • Demonstrated experience owning and managing Annual Operating Plans (AOP), including budget development, cost tracking, variance reporting, and executive-level budget reviews
  • Proven ability to proactively identify and resolve schedule conflicts across multiple competing program demands spanning laboratory, analysis, and vehicle test activities, with strong skills in priority negotiation and stakeholder communication
  • Track record of building strong, collaborative relationships with internal and external customers, with demonstrated ability to align on requirements, manage expectations, and deliver on commitments
  • Self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership - ability to identify needs, initiate action, and drive results with minimal oversight in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment
  • Demonstrated ability to respectfully disagree during technical and programmatic decision-making processes, articulate well-reasoned alternative positions, and then fully commit to and execute the team's agreed-upon direction
  • Demonstrated experience managing laboratory or test facility operations, including calibration programs, equipment lifecycle, and facility management
  • Working knowledge of EMC/EMI industry standards including MIL-STD-461G, DO-160G, and NASA-STD-4003
  • Experience managing capital equipment procurement and vendor relationships
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple engineering disciplines and manage competing priorities
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with demonstrated ability to present effectively to executive audiences
  • Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and strengthen our culture of inclusion
  • Willingness to support extended hours and on-call availability during critical test campaigns and vehicle-level test events
  • Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to support program activities
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum

Preferred Qualifications
  • M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with EMC specialization
  • 15+ years of industry experience in aerospace EMC/EMI or broader Electromagnetics organizations, including vehicle-level EMC testing and system-level EMC analysis
  • Experience managing or operating a formally accredited EMC/EMI test laboratory (e.g., NVLAP, A2LA, or equivalent)
  • Experience developing and managing training programs for EMC/EMI or electrical bonding procedures in an aerospace manufacturing or test environment
  • Background in configuration management for laboratory documentation and process artifacts
  • Experience developing system engineering products such as requirements, interface control documents, and verification reports
  • Background in strategic workforce planning and organizational development within a technical engineering environment.


Special Mentions
  • Relocation provided
  • Travel expected up to 20% of the time
  • Interviews will include a technical assessment


Base Pay Range for:
WA applicants is $183,807.00 - $257,328.75

Other site ranges may differ

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


About Blue Origin

Blue Origin is an aerospace company that develops rockets and spacecraft for commercial and government customers. The company's products include the New Shepard suborbital vehicle and the New Glenn orbital rocket. Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos and is headquartered in Kent, Washington.
Learn more about Blue Origin
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2000

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