Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Components Engineer I Verified today

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more. The Electron rocket has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit. Rocket Lab's Space Systems business designs and builds satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars.

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Components Engineer I for our propulsion engineering team in Long Beach, CA. You will have system-level and component-level ownership of space systems propulsion and fluidic development, supporting civil, commercial, and defense customers.

What You'll Do

• Own development of new or existing products or systems, acting as technical lead to guide the team through end-to-end development
• Perform conceptual and detailed mechanical design in CAD for propulsion system components, plus performance calculations and analysis
• Review and approve drawings, 3D PMI, reports, and specifications
• Plan, set up, instrument, execute, and analyze test data
• Communicate with project stakeholders internal and external to the team
• Make technical risk-based decisions to select the right solution for engineering challenges
• Manage project schedules, identify priorities, task engineers and technicians, and report status to leadership
• Mentor and coach team members on technical and professional development
• Define and maintain excellence standards through documentation, training, and review of others' work
• Contribute to Rocket Lab engineering process development and documentation

What You'll Bring

• 5+ years of experience in propulsion system development or equivalent high-performance field
• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or other technical engineering discipline
• Detailed mechanical design experience using NX (preferred) or equivalent CAD software and Product Lifecycle Management software such as Teamcenter (preferred), Windchill, or similar
• Track record of design reviews and approving release of flight parts, qualification reports, and decisions for flight hardware
• Experience with end-to-end development process including requirements, detailed design, qualification, production, and acceptance testing
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work well in a team
• Hands-on integration and testing experience (ideally using NI equipment and software)
• Experience working on propulsion systems utilizing different storable propellants, such as electrical and chemical
• US citizenship and willingness to obtain a security clearance, required due to program requirements

Nice to Have

• Genuine passion for engineering, curiosity, and willingness to learn
• Comfort working with high levels of ambiguity and making decisions using engineering principles, literature, standards, technical risk assessment, test data, and physics-based models
• Ability to identify necessary steps to achieve technical goals, schedule them in a plan, and manage delivery
• Experience developing requirements and verification sets, writing test plans, performing testing, and writing test reports
• Python for data manipulation and post-processing
• Demonstrated hands-on engineering skills inside or outside the workplace
• Experience with GD&T and engineering drawings
• Experience with National Instruments data acquisition systems
• Experience testing and troubleshooting flight hardware
• Master's or PhD

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary range (CA only): $115,000 to $158,000 USD. Level and base salary determined case-by-case based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

Benefits include company equity, top-tier medical HMO/PPO with 100% company-sponsored HSA option, dental and vision coverage, 3 weeks paid vacation and 5 days sick leave per year, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care savings accounts, paid parental leave, disability insurance, life insurance, 401(k) with company match, discounted employee stock purchase program, subsidized EV charging, onsite gym, food and drinks, and other discounts. Eligibility varies by employment status.

Working Conditions

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

Important Information

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Department of Commerce.