Lead Space Systems Engineer – Electrical & Controls

Rocket Lab USA; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab USA in Tucson, AZ seeks a Lead Systems Engineer to drive electrical architecture and system integration across space payloads. You will oversee requirements, interfaces, and verification while coordinating hardware, software, and firmware teams to ensure mission success.

Ideal candidates bring a deep background in aerospace electrical systems, extensive experience with lifecycle development, and strong cross-functional collaboration skills to deliver complex spacecraft solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, systems, or aerospace engineering or related technical discipline.
• 12+ years of engineering experience with 3+ years in development programs and 2+ years in technical leadership.
• Demonstrated systems engineering with emphasis on electrical architecture, subsystem integration, and controls development.
• Strong electrical engineering background in aerospace, payload, avionics, or instrument systems.
• Experience developing system requirements, interface definitions, and verification approaches for complex systems.

Responsibilities

• Define, decompose, and manage system requirements with focus on electrical behavior and subsystem interactions.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation: architecture descriptions, interface control documents, test plans, verification artifacts.
• Support development of electrical and functional architectures including power distribution and control logic.
• Collaborate with hardware, software, firmware, and test teams to align implementation with requirements.
• Participate in hardware and software verification and validation activities related to system behavior and electrical performance.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks related to electrical architecture and subsystem integration.

Skills

Electrical architecture

Systems engineering

Payload / avionics

Requirements management

Lifecycle development

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical, systems, or aerospace engineering

Tools

JAMA

DOORS

Cameo

Job description

Rocket Lab USA in Tucson, AZ seeks a Lead Systems Engineer to drive electrical architecture and system integration across space payloads. You will oversee requirements, interfaces, and verification while coordinating hardware, software, and firmware teams to ensure mission success.

Ideal candidates bring a deep background in aerospace electrical systems, extensive experience with lifecycle development, and strong cross-functional collaboration skills to deliver complex spacecraft solutions.