Supervisor - Composites Production (Evening Shift)

Rocketlab; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Auckland is seeking an experienced Supervisor - Composites Production for Evening Shift to lead a dedicated production team on the shop floor, ensuring on-time delivery and high-quality composites work.

You will unblock issues, coach Leads, own short- and medium-term planning, and drive continuous improvement while upholding Rocket Lab's safety and quality standards. This aerospace environment offers fast-paced challenges and rewarding results.

Qualifications

• Proven operational leadership experience in a manufacturing/production environment.
• Strong technical knowledge of composites assemblies and production processes.
• Ability to read, understand, and follow manufacturing instructions and drawings.
• Demonstrated capability to create project plans with accurate time estimates.
• Competent to inspect and sign off work completed by technicians to Rocket Lab standards.
• Experience with production planning, scheduling, and resource management.
• Track record of driving continuous improvement and team performance.

Responsibilities

• Drive team performance to meet overall production schedules and quality standards.
• Lead and support Leading Hands and team leaders to achieve team objectives and remove blockers.
• Own 2-week to 2-month team planning including releasing LN production orders and maintaining accurate schedules.
• Ensure quality and conformance to specifications for all work from teams in your area.
• Identify schedule risks and execute mitigation plans with customer/supplier departments.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives and drive innovation within your teams.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and 1-on-1s with direct reports, providing honest and constructive feedback.
• Manage training and cross-training to eliminate single points of failure and build team resilience.
• Monitor key metrics (delivery, quality, staff competencies) and actively reduce downtime.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) from engineering development to full rate production.

Skills

Operational leadership

Composites knowledge

Reading drawings

Project plans

Quality sign-off

Production scheduling

Continuous improvement

Job description

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

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.

ELECTRON

Rocket Lab's Electron team is responsible for building, testing, and launching our Electron rocket across our launch sites and test facilities in the United States and New Zealand. Electron is one of the world's most frequently-launched rockets, and our team behind its success are diligent, move fast, and have each other's back to deliver a reliable rocket to the launch pad time and time again.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We're looking for an operationally-focused Supervisor - Composites Productionto join our Production team on Evening Shift at APC.

This is a highly engaged, shop-floor leadership role where you'll be accountable for team performance on both schedule delivery and quality. You'll be the person keeping the wheels turning – supporting, unblocking, and enabling your team to execute and succeed. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are passionate about leading from the front, this is the role for you.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO

• Drive team performanceto meet overall production schedules and quality standards
• Lead and support Leading Hands and team leadersto achieve team objectives and remove blockers
• Own 2-week to 2-month team planningincluding releasing LN production orders and maintaining accurate schedules
• Ensure quality and conformanceto specifications for all work from teams in your area
• Identify schedule risksand execute mitigation plans with customer/supplier departments
• Lead continuous improvement initiativesand drive innovation within your teams
• Conduct regular performance reviews and 1-on-1swith direct reports, providing honest and constructive feedback
• Manage training and cross-trainingto eliminate single points of failure and build team resilience
• Monitor key metrics(delivery, quality, staff competencies) and actively reduce downtime
• Support new product introduction (NPI)from engineering development to full rate production

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven operational leadership experience in a manufacturing/production environment
• Strong technical knowledge of composites assemblies and production processes
• Ability to read, understand, and follow manufacturing instructions and drawings
• Demonstrated capability to create project plans with accurate time estimates
• Competent to inspect and sign off work completed by technicians to Rocket Lab standards
• Experience with production planning, scheduling, and resource management
• Track record of driving continuous improvement and team performance

NOTE: This role is available on our Evening Shift pattern: Mon - Thurs 15:00 - 01:30

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.

Important information

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.