Senior Systems Engineer - Configuration and Change Management

JobSpace; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab seeks a Senior Systems Engineer - Configuration and Change Management to drive ECM across engineering, manufacturing and supply chain. You will ensure changes are implemented swiftly with rigorous process discipline and maintain complete configuration data.

The role emphasizes autonomy, technical breadth across spacecraft systems, and the use of PLM tools to optimize data flows while maturing configuration management practices.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree required or equivalent experience.
• Experience with PLM/PDM systems and data validation.
• Willingness to automate data validation tasks.

Responsibilities

• Drive ECM process across Systems Engineering, Design, Manufacturing, Quality and Supply Chain.
• Assess system-level impacts of changes for vehicle integration.
• Execute against configuration management plan and mature baseline control.
• Conduct configuration validation and manage EBOM-to-MBOM integrity.
• Automate data integrity checks and prevent production issues.
• Act as power user of Teamcenter, Jira and Infor LN to ensure data flow between design, manufacturing and ERP.
• Define and uphold high-quality engineering processes.

Skills

Autonomy

Systems thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Python scripting

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering

Tools

Teamcenter

Jira

Infor LN

Power BI

Job description

Senior Systems Engineer - Configuration and Change Management

Senior Systems Engineer - Configuration and Change Management

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.

Rocket Lab's Neutron team is responsible for bringing our new large rocket, Neutron and its launch and test sites to life. From designing and testing Neutron's structures and components, to firing up its new Archimedes engines, to setting up Neutron's launch pads and test sites across the United States, joining the Neutron team is your opportunity to help launch a new large rocket for the very first time.

As a Senior Systems Engineer specialising in Configuration and Change Management, you will be the driving force ensuring our engineering modifications move from concept to flight hardware with speed, precision, and rigorous process discipline. Embedded within the Systems Engineering team, you will bridge the gap between complex vehicle architecture and execution, coordinating cross-functional teams to ensure interfaces are clear, changes are controlled, and configuration data is complete.

We are looking for an ambitious, high-drive individual who operates with autonomy, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and continuously seeks to automate the routine to focus on the highest impact deliverables. You will inherit a complex ecosystem of data validation tasks and will be given the opportunity to architect them out of existence.

This role is based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Join a driven team that's tackling challenging projects, delivering on exciting missions, and making an impact on the future of space!

What You'll Get To Do:

• Drive the Engineering Change Management (ECM) process by collaborating closely with Systems Engineering, Design, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to ensure modifications are implemented swiftly and without faults.
• Identify and verify system level impacts of changes, ensuring that the overall integrated launch vehicle will truly be improved through the implementation of proposed changes.
• Execute against the project's configuration management plan, while actively identifying opportunities to mature our baseline control.
• Roughly 20% of your time will deliver rigorous configuration validation: confirming fit, form, function (f/f/f), ensuring EBOM-to-MBOM integrity, and managing end-of-life obsolescence procedures alongside Supply Chain.
• Continuous improvement and automation of our data integrity checks across our tools to catch missing components, mismatched revision tables, and broken ERP syncs before they impact production.
• Act as a power user of Teamcenter, Jira, and Infor LN, tracking progress and ensuring data smoothly crosses the boundaries between design, manufacturing, and enterprise resource planning.
• Define and uphold high - quality engineering processes

You'll Bring These Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering or equivalent experience
• 5+ year's industry experience applied to a relevant technical field (i.e. Mechanical structures, Fluid Systems, Mechanisms, Propulsion, Avionics, Software)
• Drive and Autonomy: A proven track record of operating with some autonomy, taking ownership of outcomes, and delivering to tight deadlines.
• Systems Thinker Mindset: A passion for process efficiency and curiosity to investigate and verify how the system works and that proposed changes meet the stated objectives.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence (without line report authority) and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams around deadlines.
• Attention to detail with the patience and discipline to manage critical configuration data.
• Experience with PLM/PDM systems (preferably Teamcenter) and workflow management software (Jira)

These Qualifications Would Be Nice To Have:

• Project Management experience such as tracking schedules, managing manufacturing effectivity, and driving engineering deliverables to completion.
• Familiarity or practical experience applying EIA-649 principles within an aerospace, defence, and high-reliability engineering environment.
• Experience with Infor LN or data visualisation tools like Power BI to track configuration metrics and status reporting.
• A baseline capability to write Python scripts or utilise Teamcenter/Jira APIs to automate repetitive data validation tasks.