Bill Meadows
Senior Director, Test & Flight Operations & Site Director of Launch Site One at BLUE ORIGIN- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Credentials
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Leading Operational Excellence
MIT Sloan Executive EducationDec, 2020- Nov, 2024
Experience
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BLUE ORIGIN
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United States
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Defense and Space Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Senior Director, Test & Flight Operations & Site Director of Launch Site One
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Mar 2019 - Present
After establishing two of Blue Origin's newest functional organizations (Security, Facilities), Bill returned to Texas to lead Blue Origin’s West Texas Launch Site during a critical time in Blue's evolution. Bill is currently directing the site’s resources to scale Human Space Flight activities on the New Shepard suborbital launch vehicle, and to complete important testing on America's first Ox-Rich, Staged Combustion Rocket Engine, the BE-4, and the innovative BE-3PM and upper stage variant, BE-3U rocket engines. Achieving these goals establishes the future product line for all Blue Origin businesses.
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Senior Director, Security & Facilities
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Feb 2018 - Jul 2019
After a company restructure, Bill accepted the challenge to create Blue’s new Security & Facilities functional organizations where he focused on developing and integrating new Security and Facilities strategies across all Blue Origin Business Units and sites. He also directed the recruiting of highly-capable senior level leadership to provide the long-term leadership to both the Security and Facilities functional organizations.During this brief assignment, Bill significantly expanded existing facilities, and constructed new facilities in Washington, Florida, Texas, and Alabama which provided additional office, manufacturing, and R&D space to Blue Origin’s rapidly growing Business Units.
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Deputy Director, Manufacturing & Test
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Oct 2013 - Jan 2018
Bill was promoted to Deputy Director of the Manufacturing & Test Organization where he provided senior level direction of Blue Origin's test facilities and test operations organization expanding its size to >180 engineers and aerospace technicians who were located at 3 different Blue Origin sites - Washington, Texas and Florida. This team was responsible for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of 12 different test facilities and one sub-orbital launch pad. Bill also provided senior leadership and direction to Blue Origin's West Texas Launch Site.
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Product Group Lead
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Oct 2011 - Sep 2013
Bill was recruited by Blue Origin to lead the company's fledgling rocket engine test facilities and test operations organization which performed test facility design and rocket engine test operations. Bill led a multi-functional engineering team which was responsible for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of 5 different rocket engine test facilities located in Washington and Texas.
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Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR)
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John C. Stennis Space Center
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Senior Engineering Manager
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Apr 1997 - Oct 2011
Bill started as an entry level engineer and was promoted 4 times to positions of greater responsibility culminating in the highest engineering position at the site, Senior Engineer Manager, Systems Development & Test Engineering. Bill often fulfilled General Manager responsibilities during the absence of the site's General Manager. Bill started his career at PWR (then Boeing Rocketdyne) as a Combustion Devices Engineer, where he either performed or supervised the assembly, inspection, repair and checkout of Space Shuttle Main Engine combustion devices. Bill was then selected to be a Test Engineer, and eventually became a Test Director, where he performed on-console duties and directed test teams to perform rocket engine hot-fire tests for the RS-68 and SSME engines, and the Delta IV Common Booster Core vehicle. Bill also provided senior leadership of the largest rocket engine test stand in existence, NASA's B-Test Complex. Bill was then promoted to manage the site's Quality Systems Engineering organization where he directed a team of 35 engineers and specialists to perform Non-Destructive Testing, Configuration Management, and Quality Engineering tasks for the Space Shuttle Main Engine program. Bill was then promoted to the Senior Manager of the site's Engineering department where he directed the operations of 4 engineering departments and ~55 engineers. The organization was responsible for establishing procedural and technical requirements as well as operating and maintaining three large scale NASA-owned, rocket engine test stands, and for the processing and testing of liquid fueled rocket engines such as the RS-68, J-2X, and Space Shuttle Main Engines. Bill has extensive rocket engine test experience and is considered an expert in establishing standard work practices, leading Root Cause Analysis investigations, overseeing Corrective Action Boards and for implementing Continuous Improvement practices to achieve Operational Excellence.
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Engineer Officer
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Aug 1994 - Oct 2002
U.S. Army Army National Guard Bill was an ROTC commissioned Regular Army Officer, and Distinguished Military Graduate. He was an Honor Graduate from the US Army Engineer Officer school. He served a total of 8 years combined between the Regular Army and the Mississippi Army National Guard. He was recognized 9 times for Commendable Service and Achievements. Bill commanded Sapper units at the Company and Platoon level and served in primary staff positions at the Battalion and Enhanced Brigade level. Bill served in the 24th Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 155th Separate Armored Brigade, and the 890th Combat (Heavy) Engineering Battalion.
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Education
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1990 - 1994
Mississippi State University
BS, Aerospace Engineering -
2001 - 2003
William Carey University
MBA, Business
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