Mostly chaos with a sprinkle of fun - Engineer Blue Origin Employee Review

2.0
Oct 21, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work among a team of really smart and talented people from every discipline. If working in design or operations, you get to work on some awesome projects and problems. Great place to get an in-depth understanding of a subject of your choice. Working here offers a real opportunity to leave a mark on the future of space exploration.

Cons

Management structure past level 1 should be revamped. There are so many manager roles, it is difficult to discern who reports to who. Definitely too many cooks in the kitchen here. Senior management cares more about perception of reality than what employees are telling them. It has created of culture of being afraid to speak up amongst managers. Dissenting opinions are discouraged and frowned upon. Senior management has placed a lot of emphasis on a set of leadership principles that mean nothing to most within the company. Too much patting on the back for lackluster performance. The definition of R&D versus production is wholly lost at Blue. It leads to glacial like momentum on projects, and a lot of frustration. The company has become stale and bureaucratic, even by big aerospace standards. It has no identifiable culture, there's nothing about team Blue that says, "this is a Blue thing" unless complaining by employees at social gatherings counts. So many processes/rules have been put in place, it is difficult to know what process one should be following. Too many decisions are made in a vacuum without stakeholder involvement, and it leads to employee chaos and frustration.

Explore other reviews about Blue Origin

5.0
Jun 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good team to work with. No complaints.

Cons

No cons at this point.

2.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

4 weeks of PTO, good benefits, free drinks and snacks available at all locations.

Cons

Leadership is inconsistent and often incompetent, company is very segmentalized and each group operates to different goals and schedules, poor communication with other parts of the company and with leadership. There is an overarching Yes-men mentality amongst leadership, and they often are just aiming to not be the group to be to blame for delays or failures. Personal growth is limited and widely ranges between different groups, there are areas where people see regular raises and promotions, while the majority seems to be told there are freezes or that they will be put in for next cycle. Pay has fallen behind, in the past they used to pay well and above the industry standard, but have not kept pace. Hours can be very long, again dependent on your group, some people may enjoy things like work from home or flexible schedules, but the majority are asked to work long hours and even support roles that could be remote are forced to be on site, despite a lack of space for the number of employees. I moved desks locations and buildings 6 times in 3 years. Re-orgs happen every 6 months, and create significant instability within the company, but rarely bring positive improvements. Good talent is not rewarded, and leaving quickly.

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