Junior Development Engineer

Rocket Lab; Auckland; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Junior Development Engineer to support upkeep and development on the Electron vehicle systems. You will work closely with senior engineers to deliver project tasks, growing responsibility over time as you contribute to safe and reliable spaceflight.

Salary is NZD 70,000 to 71,525, with eligibility for growth as experience increases. This role is based in New Zealand offices and requires compliance with security and ITAR considerations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Mechatronics, Mathematics, Aerospace, Physics, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Able to effectively transfer skills to vehicle development projects and deliver outcomes.
• Proven track record of delivering a complete engineering project from conception to operation.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to product upkeep and development engineering work on Electron vehicle systems.
• Work closely with more experienced engineers to deliver project contributions.

Skills

Engineering fundamentals

Project delivery

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher (Engineering/related)

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 16th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

ABOUT ROCKET LAB:
Rocket Lab is a global leader in launch and space systems. The rockets and satellites we build and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations. Our Electron rocket has provided reliable access to orbit since 2018, becoming one of the most frequently launched rockets in the world. Neutron will be our next rocket on the launch pad, an advanced 13-tonne payload class, reusable rocket to launch the mega constellations of the future. Our space systems business includes our extensive line of satellites and components that have enabled more than 1,700 missions including the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA Psyche Mission, Artemis I, Mars Ingenuity helicopter, and more.

Join our pioneering team and launch your career to new heights!

ABOUT THE ROLE:
A Junior Development Engineer at Rocket Lab is responsible for contributing to product upkeep and development engineering work on the Electron vehicle systems. This role requires close work with more experienced engineers to deliver project contributions to the expectations of the company. Increased responsibility over the junior position provides more scope to perform low risk engineering with less input from experienced engineering reviews for allocated tasks.

YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Mechatronics, Mathematics, Aerospace, Physics, Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Able to effectively transfer skills to vehicle development projects where applicable and still deliver required company outcomes
• Proven track record of individually delivering a complete and successful engineering project from conception to operation

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Experience from previous employment that meets engineering experience title and skills
• Experience working with one or more of the analysis types below to solve industry related problems applicable to rocket engines
  • Structural static and/or non-linear analysis
  • Modal and/or frequency domain analysis
  • Computational fluid dynamics analysis
  • Heat transfer or thermal analysis
  • Fatigue and/or creep analysis
  • DFMEA and/or PFMEA analysis
  • DMAIC and/or fishbone analysis

Salary dependent upon experience: NZD$ 70,000 - NZD$ 71,525

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click hereITAR Regulations.