Lead Propulsion Engineer — Archimedes Engine

Rocket Lab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 162,000 - 351,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Principal Propulsion Engineer for the Neutron program in the United States. You will own propulsion subsystems, drive design, testing, and operational readiness, and guide cross-functional teams to deliver a reliable Archimedes engine family.

You will lead testing campaigns, analyze data, and refine designs for robustness, while mentoring engineers and coordinating with manufacturing and flight operations. Equity and stock options form part of total compensation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related field.
• Strong technical understanding of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, cryogenic systems, and rocket engine architecture.
• Familiarity with engine P&IDs, fluid system routing, and hotfire data reviews.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, test, and operate propulsion hardware to ensure readiness and flight success.
• Develop and execute test plans, perform post-test data reviews, and refine designs.
• Collaborate across engineering to improve performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Generate high-level plans and align priorities across teams.
• Mentor engineers and support engine needs across development, testing, and operations.
• Coordinate with manufacturing and test teams for lifecycle support of propulsion systems.

Skills

Fluid dynamics

Thermodynamics

Cryogenic systems

Rocket engine architecture

P&IDs familiarity

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Principal Propulsion Engineer for the Neutron program in the United States. You will own propulsion subsystems, drive design, testing, and operational readiness, and guide cross-functional teams to deliver a reliable Archimedes engine family.

You will lead testing campaigns, analyze data, and refine designs for robustness, while mentoring engineers and coordinating with manufacturing and flight operations. Equity and stock options form part of total compensation.