Senior Combustion Devices Engineer II / Principal Combustion Devices Engineer Verified today
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. We develop real hardware for meaningful missions.
Neutron
Neutron is a reusable medium-lift launch vehicle delivering mega constellations, interplanetary payloads, and human spaceflight. It leverages Rocket Lab's proven Electron rocket heritage, the third most launched rocket worldwide in 2024.
The Role
Based in Long Beach, CA, you will develop one or more combustion devices for the Archimedes engine: preburners, main injectors, thrust chamber assemblies, and vacuum nozzles. These devices operate in an ox-rich, staged combustion architecture and are integral to the engine's 200,000 lbf performance.
You take ownership across all aspects: design and analysis, manufacturing and test support, and successful flights with high-cadence re-flights. This role directly propels Neutron and expands human capabilities in space.
What You'll Do
- Design, analyze, and perform trade studies to achieve programmatic targets.
- Define requirements, test and flight qualification plans.
- Work with turbomachinery and engine systems teams to build a high-end product iterated quickly.
- Collaborate with manufacturing and build engineers to design cost-effective, easily manufacturable parts.
- Work with test and launch teams to interpret data and enable high-cadence testing, flights, and re-flights.
Senior Combustion Devices Engineer II Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent.
- 8+ years of combustion device design experience.
- In-depth knowledge of combustion and fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and structural mechanics.
- Fundamental understanding of design principles and manufacturing methods.
Principal Combustion Devices Engineer Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent.
- 12+ years of combustion device design experience.
- In-depth knowledge of combustion and fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and structural mechanics.
- Fundamental understanding of design principles and manufacturing methods.
Nice to Have
- Master's degree or PhD.
- Advanced proficiency in NX, ANSYS Mechanical, StarCCM, MATLAB, and GD&T.
- Proficiency in TDK, ROCCID, PERCORP, CEA, ROCETS.
- Reacting flow CFD.
- Expertise in high-speed data and video analysis in time and frequency domains.
- Experience designing reusable, propulsively landing rocket engines.
- Experience in iterative and scrappy development environments.
Compensation
Base salary: $132,000 to $270,000 USD. Total compensation (base and equity): $164,500 to $319,725 USD.
Equity grant value is designed around function, level, experience, and other factors; realized value depends on vesting and stock price performance.
Benefits
Competitive benefits include company stock as part of total compensation, Employee Stock Purchase Program with 15% discount, top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, zero-cost HDHP with HSA contribution), dental and vision coverage, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, 401(k) with company match, subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers, discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on merch, and other employee discounts.
Work Environment
This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and computer work, with occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.
ITAR and Export Control
To comply with U.S. export regulations including ITAR, employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted 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.
For candidates in New Zealand offices: Background checks will be undertaken before employment offers. You must be eligible to access ITAR-regulated equipment and data. You may be ineligible if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a NATO member country, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.