Technical Manager Commodity

About this role

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 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.

The Technical Commodity Manager will be embedded directly with engineering and manufacturing teams, participating in design reviews, trade studies, and production planning from the earliest stages. You will own the end-to-end supplier lifecycle: building bid packages, running competitive source selection events, qualifying new suppliers, negotiating contracts, and driving supplier readiness through PPAP, capability studies, and run-at-rate validation. You will work in a fast-paced, high-rate production environment with a focus on cost-down, dual-sourcing, and cycle time compression.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast with incomplete information, embraces technology and automation, and is comfortable building processes from scratch. You will work with a diverse global supply base—many new to the organization—and must be skilled at onboarding and developing suppliers to meet high-rate production demands.

Special Mentions • Travel expected up to   25% of the time   for supplier visits, audits, source selection events, and on-site problem-solving. • Relocation provided

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Sourcing & Supplier Management • Build comprehensive bid packages with technical requirements, commercial terms, and evaluation criteria in collaboration with Supply Chain Engineers and Commodity Managers • Lead competitive source selection events • Qualify and onboard new suppliers, including facility assessments, capability validation, and contract execution • Drive supplier readiness through PPAP, tooling acceptance, Control Plans, capability studies (Cp/Cpk), and run-at-rate validation to prove suppliers can meet high-rate production demands • Validate supplier capacity to scale from low-rate initial production through high-rate steady-state, ensuring adequate tooling, equipment, shifts, and process capability • Develop and execute dual/tri-source strategies to mitigate risk and drive cost competition • Conduct make/buy/where trade studies in partnership with engineering and manufacturing to support vertical integration decisions • Negotiate contracts, pricing, terms, and remedies with suppliers; manage long-term agreements (LTAs/MSAs) with indexed pricing and capacity commitments

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Reporting • Embed with assigned technical programs • Partner with Supply Chain Engineers on technical readiness and Commodity Managers on commercial strategy • Provide detailed status, risk, and mitigation reporting to program leadership and executive stakeholders • Use data and dashboards (auto-generated by AI agents) to identify trends, predict delays, and drive corrective action

AI-First Operating Model • Define requirements for AI-driven procurement automation: bid package generation, supplier risk screening, PO/ASN reconciliation, and predictive analytics • Supervise automated processes with human-in-the-loop approvals; focus time on strategic decisions and exceptions • Continuously improve templates, workflows, and automation to compress cycle time and eliminate manual work

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS • Bachelor's degree with 5+ years OR Master's degree with 3+ years of supply chain, engineering, or program management experience in manufacturing environments • Proven track record of managing NPI (New Product Introduction) or development programs from design through high-rate production at scale • Experience with First Article Inspection, supplier capability studies, and production readiness validation including run-at-rate assessments • Understanding of high-rate production requirements: takt time, line balancing, capacity validation, and supplier scalability from low-rate to high-rate • Experience building and executing sourcing strategies: competitive events, dual-sourcing, make/buy trades, and total cost analysis • Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills; able to embed with engineering and manufacturing teams and influence • Superior communication skills—able to distill complex supply chain issues into clear executive summaries and recommendations • Strong analytical and quantitative skills; experience with BOMs, MRP/ERP systems, material estimating, cost modeling, and supply chain metrics • Comfort with digital tools, supplier portals, EDI/TMS, and data-driven decision-making; enthusiasm for AI/automation adoption • Self-starter who can define scalable processes, build templates, and operate effectively in a startup-like environment • Willingness to travel (up to 25%) for supplier visits, audits, and on-site problem-solving

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS • Experience in high-rate manufacturing environments with takt-driven planning, JIT principles, and production rates • Experience onboarding and developing new suppliers, including international/global sourcing across multiple regions • Lean Six Sigma training (Green Belt or higher) or equivalent continuous improvement experience • Experience with cost-down strategies: should-cost modeling, learning curves, indexed pricing, and competitive re-bids • Experience working with diverse commodity types: castings/forgings, machined parts, assemblies, electronics, raw materials, and special processes (welding, heat treat, coatings, NDT) • Background in supplier development, capacity planning, and capital investment

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