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Senior Machine Learning Engineer II (EO/IR Image Analysis) Verified today

Rocket Lab · Littleton, CO · Payload · first seen 2026-10-14
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About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for national security, commercial, and exploration missions. The Space Systems division delivers complete spacecraft, precision payloads, and subsystems including optical systems for more than 1,700 missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Rocket Lab Optical Systems

Rocket Lab Optical Systems solves mission-critical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance challenges for Department of Defense and Intelligence Community customers. Built on more than 20 years of electro-optical and infrared systems innovation, we deliver responsive, scalable sensing solutions across orbital domains.

The Role

As Senior Machine Learning Engineer II, you will support Tranche 3 of the U.S. Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) by building deep learning neural networks for advanced Electro-Optical (EO/IR) image processing.

What You'll Do

  • Develop computer vision algorithms and deep neural networks for image and video processing chains
  • Collaborate with researchers and engineers on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision
  • Work with physics-based image simulation frameworks to scale training and validation data
  • Design, train, and deploy machine learning models for Optical Systems applications
  • Perform rapid prototyping and enhanced development for integration into operational systems
  • Troubleshoot, fix bugs, and maintain existing and new systems
  • Stay current with ML research and evaluate new tools, frameworks, and techniques

What We're Looking For

  • Bachelor's degree and 8+ years of experience, or Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field
  • Strong background in mathematics and fundamentals of machine learning: model selection, architecting, training, validation, testing, and deployment
  • Experience building deep learning neural networks (e.g. CNN) for computer vision, image processing, or analyses including object detection, image segmentation, and tracking
  • Strong mathematics background, particularly linear algebra and optimization theory
  • Proficiency in Python
  • Experience with deep learning libraries (Keras, TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc.)
  • Software engineering fundamentals: version control, testing, CI/CD, containerization
  • U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance

Nice to Have

  • Proficiency in C/C++/Rust
  • Experience curating quality, real-world datasets for training deep learning models
  • TS/SCI security clearance

Compensation

Base Salary: $140,300 to $187,000 USD

Total Compensation (base and equity): $100,000 to $176,200 USD

Anticipated annual equity grant value is designed around function, level, experience, and other factors; realized value depends on vesting and stock-price performance.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package includes industry-leading Employee Stock Purchase Program (15% discount on company stock), top-tier medical, 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) retirement plan with company match, and other discounts and perks.