About
I like to build things. Currently I work as a manufacturing engineer at Blue Origin in Huntsville, AL, where I own production of multiple reaction control system (RCS) thrusters. I like solving the problems that block hardware from getting built and I'm happiest on the factory floor.
Things I'm Very Proud of
- Building a rate-capable factory from empty warehouse space as the first full-time engineer on the Blue Origin Thrusters Huntsville Operations team.
- Leading an incredible group of engineers on UT Austin's Design, Build, Fly team to a 13th place finish out of nearly 130 initial teams - up from a 48th place finish the previous year.
- Heading the largest men's organization at the University of Texas (over 2,000 members) through the COVID pandemic.
- Starting the New Canaan Bee Foundation with my friends in high school - an environmental non-profit dedicated to honeybee conservation.
Experience
Manufacturing Engineer II — Blue Origin (RCS Thrusters)
- Own end-to-end manufacturing of 2-3 different RCS thrusters simultaneously, continuously being re-prioritized to urgent thrusters
- Author & own dozens of work instructions covering CNC machining parts, joining processes, sub-assemblies, & final assembly
- Reduce braze prep time from 4 hours to 15 minutes & save $10k in CAPEX by eliminating 2 processes while increasing joint quality
- Build out ~60,000 sq. ft. production line; source, procure, & install workbenches, tables, racks, tooling, & misc. equipment
- Provide DFM feedback for dozens of machining drawings (GD&T), improve datum schemes to reduce non-conformances
- Resolve machining-induced chatter via design changes, eliminate downstream sealing leaks, & validate via non-destructive test
- Develop & execute proof & leak testing to validate hardware integrity prior to hotfire
- Informally lead team of technicians, machinists, & inspectors to resolve bottlenecks & maintain production flow
- Disposition 50+ non-conformances, including root cause identification & corrective action implementation
Project Engineer — Blue Origin (BE-7 Lunar Lander Engine)
- Diagnosed recurring cryogenic seal failure & drove corrective action, including selection of new seal & rapid duct redesign & fab
- Built & owned hardware tracking system for Block 2 engine builds, serving as primary status source for operations & supply chain
- Led accurate Block 2 mBOM creation & implementation of Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) system
- Designed & deployed turbomachinery line-side inventory system, eliminating primary cause of production stoppages
- Deleted redundant inducer water rig testing, saving $250k+ while maintaining hardware validation confidence
Program Planning & Controls Specialist II — Blue Origin (Blue Ring Spacecraft)
Program Planning & Controls Specialist I — Blue Origin (Blue Ring Spacecraft)
- Oversaw schedule integration & tracking of entire Blue Ring program using Primavera P6
- Identified bottlenecks through data-driven analysis of dozens of critical paths to advance leadership’s ability to allocate resources
- Supported execution of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test campaigns, coordinating readiness with engineering & test teams
- Optimized component schedules for rapid development & production after major Engineering Change Requests (ECRs)
Project Management Intern — BWX Technologies
- Developed an algorithm to relate charge codes to Primavera P6 WBS level, solving a problem that employees faced for 20+ years
- Automated Earned Value Management (EVM) reporting in Power BI through SQL, & Power Query to save $10k/year
Data Analytics Intern — Eagle Bulk Shipping
- Programmed VBA to convert real-time vessel data into performance metrics presented as relevant tables, graphs, & heat maps
- Analyzed & tracked vessel carbon dioxide emissions over time to ensure compliance with EU sustainability standards
Education
M.S. Aerospace Engineering — University of Colorado Boulder
B.S. Physics + B.S. Astronomy — The University of Texas at Austin
While at UT I was President of Texas Design, Build, Fly and Project Manager at the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab (TREL). I also spent a year and a half doing research in the UT Department of Astronomy.
Skills
Manufacturing — production ramp, factory buildout, tooling design & fab, DFM/DFA, GD&T*
Fabrication — CNC machining, precision assembly, brazing, cryo-fits, 3D printing
Quality & Reliability — NC disposition, RCCA, leak & proof testing, FOD prevention, CMM inspection*
Production Systems — MRP/mBOM, work orders, bottleneck resolution, build sequencing, AI tools & dashboards
Engineering Tools — Excel/VBA, config management, CREO/Windchill*, SolidWorks*, SQL*
Contact
- Email: davidkelly@utexas.edu
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dlanekelly
- X: @dave8kelly