Sr Director, Facilities Operations

Sr. Director of Facilities Operations

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 Blue Origin corporate functions, providing centralized support across Blue Origin business unit teams, functions, and locations.

Behind every milestone, every mission, every boundary pushed, every breakthrough achieved, is a facility that demands the same excellence as the mission it supports. The Facilities, Maintenance, and Security Operations organization (FMSO) is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of our facilities — from real estate strategy and acquisition through design, construction, operations, maintenance, and physical security.

The Sr. Director of Facilities Operations is a member of the FMSO leadership team and is responsible for the operations and maintenance of our facilities. Specifically, this role oversees the strategy, execution, and performance of Blue Origin's facilities and maintenance operations across a global portfolio of approximately 9 million square feet spanning more than 40 sites — from the Space Coast of Florida to the Pacific Northwest, from Alabama to California to Luxembourg — supporting every team across Blue Origin's offices, manufacturing facilities, and industrial environments.

If you are a data-driven executive who leads through others, builds for scale, and earns credibility at the highest levels of an organization — this is your mission.

Blue Origin's footprint, operational tempo, and technical complexity continue to expand. New sites are coming online, existing sites are scaling, and the demand for reliable facilities support is increasing across the enterprise.

The incoming Sr. Director of Facilities and Maintenance Operations will lead a distributed organization of 100+ team members across a complex portfolio that includes leased facilities, government-regulated land, international sites, launch-support environments, and specialty infrastructure such as electrical distribution, HVAC, fuel systems, hazardous fluids, and other mission-critical facility systems.

Success in this role requires executive presence, technical depth, operational discipline, and the ability to balance near-term responsiveness with long-term planning.

Lead Facilities Operations at Enterprise Scale

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for facilities operations, maintenance, administrative services, site services, and related support functions across Blue Origin locations
• Lead a distributed team of regional and functional leaders, including Directors, Senior Managers, facilities professionals, maintenance personnel, and site support teams
• Partner with senior leaders across manufacturing, launch, test, engineering, real estate, construction, security, and corporate functions to align facilities priorities with business needs
• Assess the current operating model and identify opportunities to improve service delivery, reliability, accountability, and scalability—building on what works and evolving what doesn't
• Establish FMSO as a trusted, high-performing business partner that enables site readiness, operational continuity, and mission execution

Build and Sustain a Data-Driven Operating Model

• Lead preventive, corrective, and predictive maintenance programs across the enterprise portfolio
• Strengthen the use of data, dashboards, KPIs, and reporting to improve visibility into performance, cost, capacity, risk, and resource needs
• Develop structured, data-backed business cases for staffing, capital investment, maintenance priorities, and operational improvements
• Establish common standards and processes where needed while accounting for site-specific operating requirements
• Use metrics and trend data to identify emerging risks and address issues before they disrupt operations

Drive Operational Excellence Across the Portfolio

• Own facilities and maintenance performance across all sites, with accountability for safety, reliability, compliance, cost management, and service quality
• Lead annual planning for maintenance, overhead, and capital budgets; manage expenditures and provide clear financial analysis
• Ensure compliance with applicable environmental, regulatory, safety, and operational requirements, including those related to government-regulated land and specialty systems
• Oversee complex facilities infrastructure, including HVAC, electrical distribution, substations, plumbing, piping, fuel systems, hazardous fluids, potable water, and other critical systems
• Manage a large, leased facilities portfolio, including landlord relationships, lease obligations, service expectations, and site-specific constraints
• Support operational readiness in a 24/7 environment, including emergency response, urgent repairs, and business continuity
• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure safe work practices are understood, reinforced, and continuously improved

Develop a High-Performing Organization

• Lead, develop, and retain a geographically distributed team of 100+ employees and leaders
• Assess organizational capability against current and future business needs; identify talent gaps, succession needs, and development priorities
• Build leadership depth across regions and functions through clear expectations, coaching, accountability, and performance management
• Foster a culture of ownership, urgency, continuous improvement, and practical problem-solving
• Attract and retain technically strong facilities and maintenance talent in a competitive market

Execute the Strategic Vision

• Translate enterprise facilities priorities into clear roadmaps, operating plans, milestones, and resource requirements
• Partner with Real Estate, Construction, Engineering, and business leaders on site strategy, growth planning, capital projects, and long-range facility needs
• Lead or support major design/build, construction, and infrastructure projects, including contractor engagement and coordination with permitting authorities
• Advance the team's use of modern facilities tools, including CMMS, IWMS, and other platforms that improve reliability, planning, and decision-making
• Balance strategic planning with hands-on operational leadership when complex or urgent situations require direct engagement

Minimum Qualifications:

• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in facilities management and maintenance operations.
• Experience leading facilities for large-scale manufacturing, aerospace, defense, industrial operations, or similarly complex technical environments
• Demonstrated experience leading large, multi-site facilities or operations teams across a geographically distributed portfolio
• Experience managing leased facilities portfolios at scale, including landlord relationships, service expectations, and site-level constraints
• Technical depth in core facilities systems, including HVAC, electrical distribution, substations/power infrastructure, plumbing, piping, and specialty fluid systems
• Ability to evaluate technical recommendations, ask informed questions, assess tradeoffs, and maintain credibility with engineers, technicians, and skilled trades
• Experience building and sustaining data-driven operating models, including metrics, dashboards, reporting systems, performance frameworks, and accountability mechanisms
• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate clearly, build trust with senior leaders, and represent the function effectively at the enterprise level
• Demonstrated ability to assess organizations, develop talent, improve team performance, and build scalable leadership capability
• Strong business acumen, including experience developing and managing complex operating budgets, maintenance budgets, and capital plans
• Ability to operate as both a strategic leader and an engaged operational partner in a fast-paced, technically complex environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical and operational complexity into clear recommendations for executive audiences
• BS degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Construction Management, or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Career foundation in skilled trades, maintenance, plant operations, engineering, or technical facilities leadership
• Experience operating facilities on or adjacent to government-regulated land, including NASA, federal, or military installations
• Experience with international facilities operations or multi-country portfolio management
• Experience with CMMS, IWMS, Integrated Facilities Management platforms, or other facilities technology systems
• Knowledge of environmental compliance requirements related to hazardous materials, specialty fluids, fuel systems, and maximum allowable quantity regulations
• Experience applying Lean, Six Sigma, reliability-centered maintenance, or continuous improvement methods in facilities, maintenance, or operations environments
• Experience leading large-scale infrastructure, design/build, construction, or site-readiness projects involving contractors and local, state, or federal permitting authorities

Compensation Range for:

WA applicants is $218,590.00 - $306,025.65

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

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