Senior Ground Software Engineer I Verified today
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. Our Space Systems team has enabled over 1,700 missions for partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force, including missions to the Moon and Mars.
The Role
As Senior Ground Software Engineer I based in Littleton, CO, you will serve as a technical authority for spacecraft ground software across Space Systems missions. You will define and evolve the end-to-end architecture of ground systems, ensuring scalability, reliability, and mission success for both internal teams and external customers.
What You'll Do
- Own major parts of architecture and evolve Rocket Lab's web-based ground software platforms for spacecraft operations
- Partner with flight software developers, mission operations personnel, and systems engineers to translate mission needs into scalable ground system designs
- Deploy, configure, and optimize the Rocket Lab Ground Data System for diverse mission profiles
- Establish robust monitoring, alerting, and reliability frameworks to proactively detect and mitigate issues
- Provide technical direction and architectural guidance to ensure mission resilience, system integration, and long-term maintainability
- Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on ground software strategy, risk areas, and emerging technologies
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or other technical discipline
- 5+ years of relevant work experience in professional software development
- Proven track record architecting web-based software systems at scale
- Strong systems-level thinking, with ability to balance technical trade-offs across performance, security, and maintainability
- U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements
Nice to Have
- Full-stack development experience: Python, Golang, Rust (backend); TypeScript and Angular (frontend); InfluxDB, PostgreSQL (database)
- End-to-end testing frameworks like Playwright
- Aerospace background supporting satellite, spacecraft, constellation, or launch vehicle ground and mission operations
- Python web frameworks experience (FastAPI or equivalent)
- Microservice architectures and distributed systems knowledge
- Demonstrated leadership in end-to-end system design and delivery with engineering teams
- Clear, well-structured software design documentation
- Database architecture, schema design, and optimization
- Git-based workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and Kubernetes orchestration
- Modern authentication and authorization frameworks (OAuth)
- CCSDS standards knowledge including Space Packet Protocol, COP-1, and CFD
Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range for Colorado: $115,000 to $155,000 USD. Compensation includes potential company stock or cash incentives, Employee Stock Purchase Program, medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid vacation, holidays, sick leave, paid parental leave, and other perks.
Working Conditions
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.