Director of Recovery Ops

Location: California

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 supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond.

Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

We are seeking an experienced Recovery Operations Director to lead safe, efficient marine recovery of Blue Origin vehicles and payloads from ocean landing zones back to land. You will own end-to-end recovery strategy and execution—setting standards, building high-performing teams, and driving continuous improvement in safety, reliability, and efficiency. You will lead multidisciplinary mission and flight operations teams and serve as a key interface to program leadership, customers, and executive stakeholders.

This role directly impacts the history of space exploration and will require dedication, high judgment, and meticulous attention to safe, repeatable human and payload spaceflight operations.
** Position Details:**
* ** Shift:
** A | Mon–Fri (6:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.)
* *
* Location:

** Example:
Space Coast, FL
* ** Relocation:
** Available
*
* Key Responsibilities:

*** Lead marine recovery operations for assigned programs, vehicles, payloads, and/or sites, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient execution.
* Define and maintain the Recovery team operating model, including org structure, staffing, interfaces, and standards across launch, payload, ground, and control center operations.
* Build, lead, and develop a multi-level team (managers, controllers, engineers, technicians) including workforce planning, hiring, performance management, and succession planning.
* Set and enforce standards for operations products (concepts of operations, procedures, checklists, timelines, mission rules), maintaining configuration control and alignment with engineering, safety, and regulatory requirements.
* Oversee integrated planning and scheduling across vehicles, payloads, ground support equipment, facilities, and marine resources; resolve conflicts and drive decisions that balance safety, schedule, and cost.
* Serve as senior operations authority in readiness reviews and go/no-go forums, clearly communicating risks, mitigations, and readiness to leadership and customers.
* Drive operational excellence and Lean improvements to increase throughput, reduce turnaround time and rework, and improve reliability while maintaining safety and quality.
* Establish, track, and act on key performance indicators (KPIs) (e.g., schedule adherence, anomaly rates, safety performance, asset utilization) to guide priorities and investments.
* Ensure robust hazard identification and mitigation by partnering with Safety and Engineering on system and process hazard analyses, driving closure of corrective and preventive actions.
* Own recovery operations budgets within the Annual Operating Plan and influence capital planning to ensure facilities, vessels, and GSE meet mission and growth needs.
* Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders—including programs, mission management, range authorities, and customers—to align concepts of operations, schedules, and risk posture.
** Team Focus & Domain:
** The Launch Operations organization is responsible for end-to-end execution of vehicle and payload operations—from arrival of flight hardware through integration, test, launch/flight, recovery, and post-flight processing.

As Recovery Operations Director, you will own all aspects of marine recovery operations, centered on our primary recovery vessel (the Jacklyn), future vessels, and contracted marine assets. This includes:
* Transport to landing zones, securing and safing landed…