Blue Origin

Project Manager, Direct Procurement

Blue Origin$75K — $105K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field
  • 5+ years in procurement, supply chain, or program management within complex manufacturing or aerospace/defense
  • Track record of leading process improvement projects (lean, Six Sigma, etc.)
  • Proficient with ERP and procurement tools like SAP, Oracle, Coupa
  • Advanced data analysis skills using tools like Excel, Tableau, Power BI
  • Experience in managing executive-level deliverables with a recurring reporting cadence
  • Exceptional written communication skills for drafting memos and briefings
  • Fluent in using AI and agentic tools for automated workflows

Responsibilities

  • Own weekly reporting cadence including business reviews and executive summaries
  • Prepare and manage agenda materials for leadership reviews and cross-functional meetings
  • Track open actions in systems like Jira and Coupa, ensuring timely resolution
  • Conduct weekly reporting and distribute supplier status digest for leadership
  • Develop and track leadership strategy memos and executive initiative briefs
  • Drive operational excellence by establishing standards and accountabilities
  • Lead process improvement initiatives using automation and AI tools

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid parental leave and short/long-term disability options
  • 401(k) plan with a company match of up to 5%
  • Generous paid time off of up to four weeks per year, plus company-paid holidays
  • Stock options available for all regular employees working over 20 hours/week
  • Education Support Program to further employees' skills and knowledge
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

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.

Blue Origin's Global Supply Chain is responsible for delivering the hardware that launches humans and payloads to space. As Project Manager supporting the Sr. Director of Direct Procurement, you will be the execution backbone for one of the most complex and consequential procurement portfolios at Blue Origin - spanning New Glenn, Launch Complex 36A, BE-4 Engines, and emerging programs. You will translate leadership direction into structured action, own the operational tempo that keeps the team aligned, and lead process improvement initiatives that make our procurement organization faster, smarter, and more resilient.

This is a high-visibility role working at the intersection of supply chain leadership, program execution, and data-driven decision-making. Automation and AI are not future ambitions here - they are active tools in how this team operates today. The right candidate is fluent in AI and agentic workflows, eager to deploy them broadly, and capable of driving the organization toward higher leverage through intelligent automation.

What You'll Do

Management Operating Rhythm
  • Own the weekly reporting cadence including the Supply Chain Weekly Business Review, executive PPV summaries, OTD forward looks, and anomaly flash communications
  • Prepare and maintain agenda materials, action trackers, and decision logs for leadership reviews and cross-functional tag-ups (Engines, Valcor DLR, program-specific stand-ups)
  • Track open actions across Jira, Coupa, and other systems; ensure accountability and closure at pace with program schedules
  • Coordinate weekly GSC reports, daily dashboard distributions, and supplier status digests on behalf of the Sr. Director
  • Identify repetitive reporting and workflow tasks and proactively automate them using AI and agentic tools - reducing manual burden and improving cadence reliability


Strategy & Memo Execution
  • Partner with the Sr. Director to develop, draft, and track leadership strategy memos, initiative briefs, and T&M/DOA packages for executive review
  • Translate company goals and vertical integration updates into actionable project plans with clear milestones, owners, and timelines
  • Support LOI and LTA negotiations by coordinating inputs, tracking deliverables, and maintaining supplier communication logs
  • Manage DPAS rating requests, 3-way NDAs, and other strategic document workflows end-to-end


Metrics & Performance Tracking
  • Drive operational excellence across the Direct Procurement organization by establishing standards, standardizing workflows, and holding the team accountable to consistent execution
  • Champion a culture of continuous improvement - identify friction points in the procure-to-pay process, quantify their impact, and lead structured efforts to eliminate them
  • Identify metric anomalies, escalate with context, and draft corrective action summaries
  • Partner with the data/analytics team to evolve reporting tools as program needs grow


Improvement Projects
  • Lead or co-lead process improvement initiatives such as PR lifecycle automation, AI-assisted procurement workflows, outplant automation, and supplier delegation programs
  • Design, implement, and optimize agentic workflows that reduce manual effort across procurement operations - including automated status reporting, supplier communication monitoring, data aggregation, and exception alerting
  • Serve as the team's practitioner and internal champion for AI tooling - evaluate new capabilities, pilot promising use cases, and scale what works across the buyer organization
  • Manage Jira project boards (GPPF, INDR) for the Direct Procurement team - create tickets, track progress, escalate blockers, and report out weekly
  • Apply lean/continuous improvement principles to reduce cycle time and waste across the procure-to-pay process
  • Coordinate RCCA (Root Cause Corrective Action) efforts for supply chain anomalies, supporting structured problem-solving with suppliers and internal stakeholders


Program & Supplier Support
  • Serve as operational point-of-contact for cross-functional teams on New Glenn, LC-36A, BE-4, and NorthStar procurement activities
  • Support tariff and trade compliance workflows including IEEPA tariff documentation, refund tracking, and supplier clarification requests
  • Facilitate executive-level supplier engagements by preparing briefing materials, tracking follow-ons, and documenting outcomes
  • Coordinate supplier onboarding, emergency recovery actions, and capacity risk escalations with buyers and SCPMs


Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field
  • 5+ years in procurement, supply chain, or program management in a complex manufacturing or aerospace/defense environment
  • Demonstrated track record leading process improvement projects (lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent)
  • Strong proficiency with ERP and procurement tools (SAP, Oracle, Coupa, or similar)
  • Advanced skills in data analysis and reporting (Excel, Tableau, Power BI, or similar)
  • Experience owning a recurring reporting cadence and managing executive-level deliverables
  • Exceptional written communication skills - able to draft crisp memos, briefings, and status updates
  • Ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment
  • Demonstrated fluency with AI and agentic tools - able to build, deploy, and iterate on automated workflows in day-to-day work
  • Must be eligible to work in the United States


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience supporting a procurement or supply chain leadership team in aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing
  • Familiarity with direct procurement of structural, propulsion, or avionics hardware
  • PMP certification or equivalent project management credential
  • Six Sigma Green or Black Belt
  • Experience with Jira or similar agile project tracking tools
  • SQL or Python proficiency for data analysis and report automation
  • Hands-on experience building agentic or LLM-powered workflows (e.g., Claude, Copilot, custom GPT agents, or similar) applied to business process automation
  • Background in tariff/trade compliance, DPAS ratings, or government contract procurement
  • Experience with supplier development, delegation programs, or strategic sourcing


Don't meet every requirement? Studies show that some individuals are less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of listed qualifications. At Blue Origin, we are committed to building a collaborative team. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply.

Base Pay Range for:
WA applicants is $75,289.00 - $105,404.25

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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