Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Rocket Lab Corp.; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineers across multiple disciplines to own production, lead problem-solving, and push for manufacturing excellence. You will drive RCAs, ship products, and plan capital upgrades while aligning with quality and supply chain teams.

The role demands 5+ years in manufacturing/production engineering, ability to lead autonomous projects, and a track record of delivering fast, safe, and reliable hardware for space missions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years manufacturing/production/process engineering experience
• Experience leading teams to production targets
• Ability to ship results independently and drive improvements
• Strong problem-solving and risk assessment abilities
• Comfort in high-pressure, fast-paced environments

Responsibilities

• Own products in production as go-to expert
• Drive teams to hit production targets with top quality
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions on failures
• Bridge production, quality, supply chain, and design engineering for rapid problem-solving
• Create robust production procedures and test fixtures
• Launch new products and revisions into production
• Plan and execute capital equipment upgrades with business cases
• Mentor/train engineers and production teams
• Deliver projects on time with clear documentation
• Maintain and update product manuals and lessons-learned docs

Skills

Production engineering

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional leadership

DFMEA/PFMEA

Lean Six Sigma

DFT/DFM knowledge

Problem solving on factory floor

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

GD&T

CAM software

Job description

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.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Manufacturing Engineering powers Rocket Lab’s factories from concept tofull-scaleproduction. We turn early ideas into manufacturable designs, build andoptimisethe systems that make them real, and constantly push for faster, better, smarter ways to build. We engineer the factories that build the rockets, boosting quality, cutting cost, and accelerating build rate.

We'reseeking experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineers across multiple disciplines to take ownership of complex products, lead problem-solving initiatives, and drive manufacturing excellence.

THE OPPORTUNITIES:

• Assembly & Integration – Mechanical, Assembly, Propulsion, Mechanical Test
• Machining – CNC programming, precision manufacturing, GD&T

In your application, pleaseindicatewhich discipline(s) align with your experience and interests.

YOU’LL GET TO:

• Own & Ship:
  • Own products in production as the go-to expert
  • Drive teams to hit production targets at top quality
  • Execute product improvements and design qualifications
• Solve & Fix:
  • Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions on failures
  • Disposition non-conformances on flight hardware using engineering judgment and risk assessment
  • Bridge production, quality, supply chain, and design engineering for rapid problem-solving
• Build & Improve:
  • Create bulletproof production procedures and processes
  • Design reliable assemblies and test fixtures
  • Develop mission-critical test methods for safety-critical systems
  • Champion Lean/Six Sigma continuous improvement
• Lead & Scale:
  • Drive design reviews as DFM/DFT expert
  • Launch new products and revisions into production
  • Plan and execute capital equipment upgrades with business cases
  • Implement planning, quality, ERP, and data systems
• Train engineers and production teams
• Break down complex projects and deliver on time
• Establish and execute project plans autonomously
• Maintain product manuals and lessons-learned docs

WHAT YOU BRING:

The Must-Haves:

• Engineering degree (Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Chemical, Materials, or related)
• 5+ years manufacturing/production/process engineering in the trenches
• Well-tested debugging complex systems on the factory floor
• You ship results independently and lead teams to do the same
• You influence stakeholders, assess risk fast, and implement lasting solutions
• Thrive inhigh pressure environments–can hustleand built for speed

Your Specialty (one or more):

• Avionics & Test:Expert-level debugging of electro-mechanical systems, instrumentation (oscilloscopes, power supplies, sensors, serial devices)
• Composites:Deep knowledge of resins, ablatives, sandwich structures, tooling, and manufacturing processes
• Machining:Advanced GD&T, inspection methods, CAM software (3/5-axis CNC), 3+ years shop experience
• Assembly & Integration:Led mechanical assembly, integration, propulsion, or mechanical test operations
• Aerospace/defence/high-reliability manufacturing background
• DFMEA, PFMEA, Fault Tree, root cause/corrective action expert
• SPC, capacitymodelling, value stream mapping
• Environmental testing (vibe, shock, thermal, vacuum)
• Mentored or led engineers

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU:

You own it. Problems become solutions. Documentation gets done. Projects ship on time. You communicate clearly, lead when needed, support teammates always, and show up ready to build the future.

We take delivery incredibly seriously. Failure is not in our DNA. The work is hard, demanding, and not for the faint-hearted.

Youdon'tgo to Mars working eight to five, Monday to Friday. Ifyou'rea high performer, hungry for work with genuine impact where your engineering excellence directly shapes space exploration, national security, and critical infrastructure,you'vefound your place.

In return,you'llsolve problems thatactually matteralongside experts who run toward challenges, not away from them.

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.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here .

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at [e-mail]. This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

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 here ITAR Regulations.