Laser Communications Program Lead: Customer Delivery

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 196,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Medical plans (top-tier)

Dental and vision

Paid vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays

401(k) retirement plan with company 
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EV charging subsidy

Job summary

Rocket Lab Corporation in Long Beach, CA, seeks a Senior Program Manager I for Laser Communications to champion customer outcomes and lead terminal programs from award to on-orbit checkout. You will partner with engineering, production, and BD teams to ensure schedule, cost, and performance targets are met, across U.S. and European sites.

The role emphasizes delivering hardware at rate, risk management, and strong customer relationships, with ITAR awareness and a focus on program health.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or Math.
• Working understanding of free-space optical or RF communications: link budgets, pointing, acquisition, and tracking.
• 5+ years in space, aerospace, or photonics hardware programs with multiple cycles.
• Track record of leading complex hardware programs to delivery under pressure.
• Experience managing program cost, EAC, and contract changes at scale.
• Proven ability to deliver hardware at rate while maintaining trust with customers.
• US Person status (ITAR/EAR) or ability to obtain clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead terminal programs from award through production, ensuring schedule, performance, and commitments.
• Coordinate multiple concurrent programs with Chief Engineers on performance, SWaP, and qualification.
• Own delivery profiles, identify risks, and drive resolution with Operations and Product.
• Partner with Supply Chain to manage critical suppliers and ensure material readiness.
• Oversee program startup, baselining, reviews, export controls, and customer acceptance across sites.
• Be the primary customer interface for milestone reviews and pricing decisions with Product and BD teams.

Skills

Space systems

Program management

Customer delivery

Production delivery

Cost management

Security clearance

AI fluency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or Math

Tools

Jira

Confluence

ERP/MRP

Job description

Rocket Lab Corporation in Long Beach, CA, seeks a Senior Program Manager I for Laser Communications to champion customer outcomes and lead terminal programs from award to on-orbit checkout. You will partner with engineering, production, and BD teams to ensure schedule, cost, and performance targets are met, across U.S. and European sites.

The role emphasizes delivering hardware at rate, risk management, and strong customer relationships, with ITAR awareness and a focus on program health.