Aerospace Construction Program Director

Rocket Lab Corp.; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

HSA plan

Dental and vision coverage

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase program

EV charging stations

Onsite gym

Meals and snacks

Job summary

Rocket Lab’s Facilities team seeks a Construction Project Director to lead large-scale construction and facilities programs across aerospace manufacturing and test sites. You’ll drive strategic planning, budgeting, scope definition, and multi-site execution with a focus on safety, compliance, and on-time delivery.

You will partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, EHS, Supply Chain and executive leadership to align capital projects with growth goals, oversee contractor performance, and manage ROI

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive experience in construction project management and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of work experience (16+ years of total work experience).
• 5+ years leading large-scale industrial or manufacturing construction projects.
• Strong knowledge of aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing environments.
• Expertise in contract negotiation, budgeting, scheduling, and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end strategy for construction and facilities development across aerospace manufacturing and test sites.
• Translate long-range operational needs into facility and infrastructure roadmaps.
• Develop multi-year capital plans and ensure alignment with corporate growth objectives.
• Provide executive-level reporting, risk assessments, and recommendations.
• Oversee all phases of construction projects, including scoping, budgeting, scheduling, permitting, design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects ranging from high-bay manufacturing facilities to clean rooms, test stands, labs, and specialized aerospace infrastructure.
• Ensure strict adherence to aerospace-grade quality, safety, and regulatory standards.
• Own capital project budgets, forecasts, and financial controls.
• Evaluate ROI, payback, and lifecycle cost impacts for major construction investments.
• Lead contractor bidding, negotiation, and contract management.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, Test Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure facility designs support production throughput, equipment installation, and future scalability.
• Partner with EHS to ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and aerospace-specific safety requirements.
• Coordinate with local jurisdictions, permitting agencies, and regulatory bodies.
• Select, negotiate, and manage general contractors, architects, engineers, and specialty vendors.
• Ensure contractor performance meets cost, schedule, and quality expectations.
• Lead weekly construction reviews, site walks, and executive updates.
• Identify and mitigate construction risks, schedule delays, cost overruns, and scope changes.
• Ensure all construction activities comply with aerospace industry standards, building codes, and environmental regulations.
• Champion a culture of safety across all job sites.

Skills

Construction project management

Leadership

Budgeting

Scheduling

Contract negotiation

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Rocket Lab’s Facilities team seeks a Construction Project Director to lead large-scale construction and facilities programs across aerospace manufacturing and test sites. You’ll drive strategic planning, budgeting, scope definition, and multi-site execution with a focus on safety, compliance, and on-time delivery.

You will partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, EHS, Supply Chain and executive leadership to align capital projects with growth goals, oversee contractor performance, and manage ROI