Electrical Engineer II

Rocketlab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 111,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Employee stock purchase program

Medical plans

Dental and vision

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays

Parental leave

Onsite fitness centers

EV charging subsidy

Merchandise discount

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking an Electrical Engineer II for the avionics hardware team. You will participate in the development and test of spacecraft avionics hardware and work with engineers across disciplines from requirements through design, fabrication, testing, and production. Join a fast-paced Space Systems group building the future of space.

A B.S. degree in electrical or computer engineering and 2+ years of hardware design experience are required; U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering; or other engineering degree.
• 2+ years of electrical hardware design experience, including schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Strong understanding of electric circuit design fundamentals and electrical engineering principles.
• Proficiency with basic electronic lab equipment, such as: power supplies, oscilloscopes, DMMs, signal generators and soldering irons.
• Experience in creation of design verification test plans and test execution.
• U.S. citizenship is required, due to program requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop PCBA requirements in collaboration with other engineering disciplines.
• Schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium Designer
• Circuit analysis, including power, tolerance, and reliability related
• PCBA design verification testing and system integration testing
• Production manufacturing support as needed

Skills

Electrical hardware design

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Circuit analysis

Test planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering

Master’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Oscilloscopes

DMMs

Power supplies

Signal generators

Soldering irons

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.

SPACE SYSTEMS

At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER II

We are currently seeking an Electrical Engineer II for our avionics design engineering team based out of Long Beach, CA. You will participate in the development and test of avionics hardware for our spacecraft programs. You will work collaboratively with engineers of various disciplines and participate in all aspects of electrical hardware development, from requirements definition through design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, and production. As an engineer on the spacecraft development team, you will have frequent opportunities to test and operate your systems on orbit. We're looking for people who are passionate about spacecraft electrical hardware design, with a willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO

• Develop PCBA requirements in collaboration with other engineering disciplines
• Schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium Designer
• Circuit analysis, including power, tolerance, and reliability related
• PCBA design verification testing and system integration testing
• Production manufacturing support as needed

QUALIFICATIONS YOU’LL BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering; or other engineering degree
• 2+ years of electrical hardware design experience, including schematic capture and PCB layout
• Strong understanding of electric circuit design fundamentals and electrical engineering principles
• Proficiency with basic electronic lab equipment, such as: power supplies, oscilloscopes, DMMs, signal generators, 1 and soldering irons
• Experience in creation of design verification test plans and test execution
• U.S. citizenship is required, due to program requirements

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAt

• Master’s degree in electrical or computer engineering; or other engineering discipline
• Proficiency with basic electronic lab equipment such as power supplies, oscilloscopes, DMMs, signal generators, soldering irons, etc.
• Experience designing for space environments, including radiation impacts and mitigation
• Experience in designing high-reliability aerospace applications
• Experience designing rigid-flex PCBs and electromechanical design familiarity in general
• Experience with FPGA design and embedded software development for ARM core processors
• Demonstrated success working in a dynamic environment and ability to manage competing priorities

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

• Anticipated annual equity grant value is designed around function, level, experience, and other factors; realized value depends on vesting and stock-price performance.
• Join one of the world's fastest-growing space companies and own a piece of it. In addition to competitive base pay, you'll receive company stock as part of your total compensation package, giving you a direct stake in our success. As we expand to new launch sites, groundbreaking missions, and global markets, your ownership has the opportunity to grow alongside the company.
• Our comprehensive benefits package includes our industry-leading Employee Stock Purchase Program (with a 15% discount on company stock), top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, and a zero cost HDHP option with a significant HSA company contribution), dental and vision coverage, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• Additional perks include subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers (where available), discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on our popular merch store, and a variety of other employee discounts.
• Level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

$110,875 — $143,625 USD

$100,800 — $126,000 USD

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