Brand Designer

Rocket Lab USA; Auckland; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a skilled Brand Designer based onsite in Auckland, NZ, or Long Beach, CA to craft visual content for mission patches, merchandise, presentations, and campaigns. You’ll partner with the Brand Design Lead and collaborate with multiple teams to bring concepts to life across formats and channels.

You will own projects from concept through execution, driving high-quality visuals that translate complex aerospace tech into engaging experiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design or related field.
• 5+ years of professional graphic design experience.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite.
• Portfolio demonstrating brand design expertise.

Responsibilities

• Design high-quality graphics for digital platforms, print materials, presentations, and events.
• Develop compelling visual concepts translating aerospace tech into accessible content.
• Create branded assets for product launches, campaigns, and corporate communications.
• Support production of video content, motion graphics, and social assets.
• Manage multiple projects while maintaining Rocket Lab brand standards.
• Collaborate with vendors and stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of creative work.
• Contribute to evolution of Rocket Lab's visual identity as the company grows.
• Design mission patches and aerospace applications.
• Maintain organized asset libraries and design systems.

Skills

Brand design

Graphic design

Adobe Creative Suite

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent years of work experience

Tools

Illustrator

Photoshop

InDesign

Job description

Brand Designer

Auckland, NZ

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity's reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

The Marketing & Communications team is the storytelling engine of Rocket Lab. We tell the big stories, break down the complex concepts, showcase the inspiring missions, and make space beautiful. Through media relations, social media, video production, events, merchandise, and design, the Marketing & Communications team works across the entire business to translate literal rocket science into stories and messages that resonate with key audiences.

Brand Designer Based onsite at Rocket Lab's Auckland, NZ facility or Long Beach, CA USA we are looking for a creative and technically skilled Graphic / Brand Designer to create visual content with impact – from mission patches to merchandise, presentations to event graphics, and digital campaigns to website content. You'll partner closely with our Brand Design Lead and collaborate with many teams across the business. We move fast and work on everything from technical renders to social campaigns to rocket livery that'll end up in orbit. You need to keep up, communicate clearly, and push work across the finish line without someone holding your hand.

This role is perfect if you want to own projects from concept to execution, get excited by designing across multiple formats, and enjoy working with teams who care deeply about their work and want to see it brought to life through your work.

This role can be based in either Long Beach, California or Auckland, New Zealand.

What You’ll Get To Do:

• Design high-quality graphics for digital platforms, print materials, presentations, and event activations
• Develop compelling visual concepts that translate complex aerospace technology into accessible, engaging content
• Create branded assets for product launches, mission campaigns, and corporate communications
• Support the production of video content, motion graphics, and social media assets
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining consistency with Rocket Lab's brand standards
• Partner with external vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of creative work (merchandise, conference booths, websites, printed collateral etc)
• Contribute to the evolution of Rocket Lab's visual identity as the company grows
• Design mission patches, vehicle livery, and other unique aerospace applications
• Maintain organized asset libraries and design systems

You’ll Bring These Qualifications:

• 5+ years of professional graphic design experience & a bachelors degree or equivalent years of work experience (9+ years of total work experience).
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
• Portfolio demonstrating expertise in brand design
• Experience in developing merchandise and swag, working with vendors through the production process to deliver completed products
• Understanding of typography, layout, color theory, and visual hierarchy

These Qualifications Would Be Nice To Have:

• Experience working in aerospace, space, defense, or deep-tech industries
• Experience with motion graphics, video editing, or 3D rendering software is a plus
• Knowledge of web design principles and tools like Figma or Sketch
• Familiarity with 3D software such as Cinema 4D, Blender, or KeyShot
• Experience designing for live events, exhibitions, or experiential activations
• Understanding of photography direction and art direction for photo shoots
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly to changing priorities
• Strong communication skills and the ability to present creative concepts
• A collaborative mindset with the ability to take direct feedback and iterate quickly
• Passion for storytelling and translating technical subject matter into compelling visuals

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.

What To Expect:

We're on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that's not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other's backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.