Lead Propulsion & Fluids Test Engineer

Rocket Lab; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Auckland, New Zealand is seeking a Senior Propulsion and Fluids Test Engineer to join our Space Systems team. You will own propulsion components and fluid systems from concept through qualification to production, designing and operating test setups to validate performance.

You will plan and execute test campaigns, troubleshoot hardware issues, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to advance new systems and improve existing designs for space missions.

Qualifications

• Proven experience developing and testing propulsion, fluid, or other high‑performance hardware.
• Strong hands-on background with instrumentation, data acquisition, and test execution.
• Experience across the full development lifecycle, from requirements through to production.
• Confidence operating in ambiguity and making sound, first‑principles engineering decisions.
• Experience with LabVIEW (or similar) and data analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Own propulsion components and fluid systems from concept through qualification to production.
• Design, build, and operate test setups to validate hardware performance.
• Plan and execute test campaigns, including instrumentation, data collection, and analysis.
• Troubleshoot and resolve hardware issues that emerge during development and testing.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop new systems and improve existing designs.
• Navigate technical challenges across development, qualification, and production phases.
• Review and approve test plans and reports to maintain engineering standards.
• Guide risk‑based decision‑making for propulsion and fluid systems.
• Mentor and support other engineers in technical development and best practices.
• Maintain systems‑level perspective while managing component‑level details.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders across the organization to ensure alignment and mission success.

Skills

Propulsion hardware development

Instrumentation & data acquisition

Development lifecycle experience

First-principles engineering

LabVIEW & data analysis tools

Tools

LabVIEW

Python

Job description

Rocket Lab in Auckland, New Zealand is seeking a Senior Propulsion and Fluids Test Engineer to join our Space Systems team. You will own propulsion components and fluid systems from concept through qualification to production, designing and operating test setups to validate performance.

You will plan and execute test campaigns, troubleshoot hardware issues, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to advance new systems and improve existing designs for space missions.