Director Service Operations Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

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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!

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 National Security (BNS) Business Unit, which is focused on delivering resilient, mission-critical space capabilities, including Blue Ring, to support national defense and intelligence objectives.

With Blue Ring, and other BNS assets, our customers are empowered to achieve operational advantage across cislunar and Earth orbit domains, redefine mission flexibility, and pursue bold new concepts that were once beyond reach. If you're energized by the idea of working with platforms capable of enabling missions without compromise, this is your moment to make history with us.

As a Satellite Service Operations Engineer, you will own the long-term sustainment and service delivery of spacecraft operations - from routine health management and performance trending, through customer service execution, to the design and implementation of the automation and AI capabilities that will allow operations to scale across the fleet's operational life. This is not a traditional satellite operations role. This role blends spacecraft operations expertise with hands-on automation development. As a Satellite Service Operations Engineer, you will be the senior on-console engineer and the ultimate real-time mission authority for spacecraft operations. Day-to-day, you'll move between directing real-time mission activities and building the automation that makes operations more efficient. Your unique combination of deep operational expertise and hands-on technical ability will be the engine that drives operations from first-mission execution to scalable, intelligent fleet management.

Join us in enabling Blue Origin's vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth - passion for our mission is required!

Special Mentions:

• Based at Reston, VA, or Seattle, WA, offices. Relocation provided.
• This role requires occasional periods of shift work and on-call availability during critical mission events, anomaly resolution, and key customer milestones.

Responsibilities

• Own and direct day-to-day, long term mission operations, including flight operations, ground systems operations, mission execution, and customer service delivery.
• Direct real-time spacecraft operations, including monitoring, commanding, health and status management, and performance trending across the fleet.
• Ensure mission objectives, performance standards, and delivery commitments are consistently met on behalf of customers.
• Oversee ground system command and control operations, ensuring telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) infrastructure meets mission needs and reliability standards.
• Conduct anomaly resolution activities, including problem identification, root cause analysis, corrective action implementation, and documentation.
• Conduct system performance assessments and generate reports for routine operations, anomaly events, and mission milestones for both internal leadership and external customers.
• Coordinate with payload customers and internal stakeholders to ensure hosted payload activities are executed safely and within approved parameters.
• Execute automation for mission operations, identifying opportunities to leverage software-driven solutions, intelligent automation, and data-driven decision support to scale operations efficiently.
• Maintain continuous integration and testing of operational code, ensuring automation products are validated against spacecraft simulation environments prior to operational use.
• Collaborate with ground software teams to define requirements, design interfaces, and integrate automation and AI tools into the ground system architecture.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in on-orbit spacecraft mission operations or space systems engineering.
• Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems (power, thermal, data, communications, attitude, propulsion) and/or satellite ground systems (command and control software, mission planning systems, remote ground terminals, etc.).
• Experience performing on-orbit operations, including anomaly resolution activities.
• Understanding of multi-mission or constellation-level spacecraft operations concepts and challenges.
• Software/scripting development experience in Python or equivalent programming language.
• Experience with automation and efficiency improvements.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey complex technical and operational issues to audiences including executive leadership and external customers.
• Ability to earn trust, build positive professional relationships, and collaborate with individuals of broad backgrounds to achieve mission success.

Desired

• M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• Active or eligible for Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance.
• Demonstrated proficiency in orbital mechanics principles, satellite dynamics, and control theory, with a strong foundation in academic or professional experience.
• Experience with hosted or separable payload mission planning and operations.
• Experience with developing and/or maintaining "Lights Out" satellite operations products.
• Knowledge of electric propulsion systems and low-thrust trajectory planning.
• Experience applying AI/ML techniques to operational workflows, such as predictive anomaly detection, intelligent scheduling, or data-driven decision support.
• Experience with government or defense space programs and associated customer relationship management.
• Experience with trending and analysis platforms for long-term spacecraft health monitoring (e.g., Databricks, Grafana, or similar).
• Prior experience scaling operations from initial missions through fleet-level services.

Base Pay Range for:

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.

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 atEEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.