Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Components Engineer II Verified today
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. The Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions for interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing, and national security. We build spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.
The Role
As Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Components Engineer II, you will have system-level and component-level ownership of space systems propulsion and fluidic development for civil, commercial, and defense customers. You will lead cutting-edge programs and mentor engineers within your team.
What You'll Do
- Own development of new or existing propulsion products or systems, acting as technical lead through end-to-end development
- Perform conceptual and detailed mechanical design in CAD for propulsion components, with performance calculations and analysis
- Review and approve drawings, 3D PMI, reports, and specifications from other engineers
- Plan, set up, instrument, execute, and analyze test data
- Communicate with internal and external project stakeholders
- Make technical risk-based decisions to achieve the best engineering solution
- Manage project schedules, identify priorities, task team members, and communicate status to leadership
- Mentor and coach team members on technical and professional development
- Define and maintain standards of excellence through documentation, training, and review of others' work
- Contribute to engineering process development and documentation at Rocket Lab
What You Bring
- 8+ years of experience in propulsion system development or equivalent high-performance field
- Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or related 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 flight hardware decisions
- Experience with end-to-end development: requirements gathering, 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 with National Instruments equipment and software
- Experience with propulsion systems utilizing different storable propellants, such as electrical and chemical
- US citizenship and willingness to obtain a security clearance required
Nice to Have
- Genuine passion for engineering and curiosity to learn
- Comfortable working with high ambiguity and making decisions using engineering principles, literature, standards, risk assessments, test data, and physics-based models
- Ability to identify steps to achieve technical goals, schedule them, 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
- GD&T and engineering drawing experience
- Experience testing and troubleshooting flight hardware
- Master's or PhD
Compensation and Benefits
Base pay range (CA only): $132,000 to $198,000 USD. Additional compensation includes company stock as part of total compensation package. Benefits include industry-leading Employee Stock Purchase Program with 15% discount, top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, zero cost HDHP with significant 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 merchandise, and additional employee discounts.
Requirements
US citizenship and willingness to obtain a security clearance required due to program requirements and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, Rocket Lab employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (current 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 U.S. Department of Commerce.
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.