Blue Origin

Senior Manager, Software Engineering

Blue Origin$197K — $275K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 3 years in a managerial role.
  • Proven track record of successfully leading software development projects from inception to delivery.
  • Experience building systems at the GenAI state of the art, particularly agentic harnesses and knowledge graphs.
  • Strong understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and development methodologies.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and strong organizational skills in a fast-paced environment.
  • A passion for space exploration and a commitment to Blue Origin's mission.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage the enterprise Physical AI software engineering team to build AI software products.
  • Hire and staff the software engineering team to execute against Physical AI goals and product roadmap.
  • Partner with customers to identify needs and create innovative solutions.
  • Collaborate with external partners to integrate and enable market-leading Physical AI capabilities.
  • Provide technical expertise and leadership ensuring safe and efficient operations.
  • Own and optimize production of the Physical AI systems for performance and reliability.
  • Grow and mentor dedicated individuals and future leaders.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance.
  • Paid parental leave and short and long-term disability.
  • 401(k) with a company match of up to 5% and stock options for regular employees.
  • Paid Time Off: Up to four weeks per year and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
  • Education Support Program.
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

This role is part of Enterprise Technology (ET), where we're developing the digital infrastructure needed to build the road to space, with an emphasis on digital capabilities required to advance Blue Origin's mission. Enterprise Technology is the center of excellence for digital technology at Blue Origin, providing oversight and governance to align technology and business strategies.

As part of the AI & Emerging Technology leadership team, you will bring software engineering leadership to aerospace design and analysis systems. You will be a key leader of the team responsible for building our Physical AI tools - AI native systems that accelerate the design, build and test our products using the latest generative and agentic AI technologies and approaches.

We are looking for someone who has an approach hallmarked by rapid delivery and continuous-improvement and who is ready to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Software Development Manager. This leader will manage a team of skilled software developers and drive them to execute an ambitious technology roadmap.

Key responsibilities include:
  • Lead and manage the enterprise Physical AI software engineering team to build AI software products that will accelerate the hardware lifecycle: requirements, design, simulation, analysis, build, operate.
  • Hire and staff the software engineering team to execute against the enterprise Physical AI goals and product roadmap.
  • Partner with customers to identify needs and create innovative solutions, working in concert with the Emerging Technology leaders and product managers to develop and execute against a Physical AI product roadmap and capability set
  • Collaborate with external partners like Anthropic, AWS, OpenAI and other LLM and AI service providers to integrate and securely enable market leading Physical AI capabilities at Blue Origin.
  • Provide technical expertise and leadership to ensure safe and efficient operations
  • Report directly to Vice President Enterprise Technology and contribute to the overall strategy and objectives of the AI and Emerging Technologies engineering department.
  • Own and optimize production of the Physical AI systems, ensuring exceptional performance and reliability, and instrumenting for performance, cost, and quality.
  • Grow and mentor dedicated individuals and future leaders.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in software development, outstanding leadership skills, and a passion for innovation in aerospace.

Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 3 years in a managerial role.
  • Proven track record of successfully leading software development projects from inception to delivery.
  • Experience building systems at the GenAI state of the art, particularly agentic harnesses, MCP, agent memory and state management, retrieval augmented generation, and knowledge graphs
  • Experience applying AI to solve business problems and facilitate software development.
  • Strong understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and development methodologies.
  • Experience in distributed backend systems and cloud-based environments, such as AWS.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and a passion for solving complex technical challenges.
  • Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with teams.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • A passion for space exploration and a commitment to Blue Origin's mission.
  • Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience with design and product definition within regulated industries.
  • Experience with simulations, digital twins, and synthetic data generation.
  • Experience in the aerospace or defense industry.
  • Familiarity with compliance and regulatory requirements in aerospace.


Base Pay Range for:
WA applicants is $197,004.00 - $275,805.60

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.
  • 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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