Lead Engineer, GSE and Production Tooling

Rocket Lab USA; Middle River (MD); On-site; USD 117,000 - 196,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Employee Stock Purchase Program (15%)

Medical and dental coverage

Paid vacation and holidays

401(k) with company match

Free snacks onsite

Job summary

Rocket Lab Corporation in Middle River, MD seeks a Lead Engineer for Tooling, GSE and test coordination to scale Neutron production. You will manage a team of engineers, drive tooling development, and interface with structures, facilities and operations to meet ambitious build-rate goals.

You’ll mentor engineers, oversee qualification tests, participate in design reviews, and push manufacturability and testability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering, or other technical degree.
• 5+ years of engineering design experience.
• Experience in a leadership position.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of Engineers responsible for tooling, GSE, and test for Neutron.
• Coordinate production tooling: scale Neutron assembly and improve accuracy.
• Ground Support Equipment design for test, transport, and integration.
• Coordinate with structures, facilities, operations, and stakeholders on constraints.
• Develop training plans to qualify technicians and manage major capital projects.
• Contribute to design reviews and advocate for manufacturability and testability.

Skills

Engineering design

Leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering

Tools

Siemens NX/Teamcenter

Job description

Lead Engineer, GSE and Production Tooling

Middle River, MD

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.

NEUTRON

Neutron is a medium lift launch vehicle capable of delivering the mega constellations of tomorrow, high assurance payloads, and human spaceflight. As a highly reusable launch platform, Neutron will deliver a highly cost-effective and reliable launch solution leveraging Rocket Lab’s proven execution history with the Electron program. If you’re interested in joining a high performing team, pushing the boundaries with a clean sheet development of re-usable liquid launch vehicle, this is your opportunity!

LEAD ENGINEER, GSE AND PRODUCTION TOOLING

We are currently seeking a Lead Engineer for our Tooling, Test, and Infrastructure team based out of Rocket Lab's newest Space Structures Complex production facility in Middle River, MD. The Lead Engineer will be responsible for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of tooling, GSE, and test for the Neutron Launch Vehicle.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

Manage a team of Engineers responsible for tooling, GSE, and test for Neutron

Coordinate a team focused on:

• Production tooling: how we massively scale the production of Neutron and create mechanical tools which allow us to increase assembly accuracy, reduce set-up times, minimize crane use, etc.
• Ground Support Equipment: design of equipment that interfaces with the vehicle for test, transport, and integration
• Test: engineering coordination of qual tests and structural tests.

Coordinate with structures team, other Lead Engineers, facilities, operations, and other major stakeholders to:

• Manage facility-wide constraints
• Develop appropriate training plans to ensure technicians are qualified to perform the expected tasks
• Major capital projects to introduce new production techniques as we scale production
• Contribute to design reviews acting as an expert in design for manufacture, design for test, productivity, supplier capability assessments, quality control, etc.

In addition, the Lead Engineer will perform the following tasks in a leadership capacity:

• Develop and mentor less experienced engineers and technicians
• Performance management for engineers on the team
• Recruiting where needed for additional engineers

YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering, or other technical degree.
• 5 + years of engineering design experience.
• Experience in a leadership position.

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Demonstratedexperiencewithlargetooling and structures design
• Working knowledge of Siemens NX/Teamcenter
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as metallic machining, welding, and fabrication.
• Experience with structural analysis including hand calcs and FEA
• Ability to read and interpret P&ID’s and wiring diagrams.
• Demonstrated leadership competencies, especially change management, conflict resolution, knowing when to escape / request help, effectively manage a team

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 HMO, PPO & a 100% company-sponsored medical HSA plan option, dental and vision coverage, 3 weeks paid vacation and 5 days sick leave per year, 11 paid holidays per year, flexible spending and dependent care savings accounts, paid parental leave, disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan with company match, and free snacks/drinks onsite.

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.

Total Compensation (base and equity)

$137,075 - $196,275 USD

$116,800 - $160,600 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 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.

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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Rocket Lab Corporation’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.