Manager, Mechanical Design

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Manager, Spacecraft Mechanical Design based in Long Beach, CA. This hands-on leadership role oversees 6–10 engineers, guiding mechanical development programs for spacecraft structures and mechanisms.

The ideal candidate has a strong mechanical/structural background, proven leadership, and experience delivering hardware from concept to launch in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering; or other engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of engineering experience.
• 1+ years as a team lead, manager, or technical leader.
• US citizenship is required.

Responsibilities

• Perform functional management duties including 1-on-1s, performance reviews, and career development for direct reports.
• Coach and mentor engineers on the team.
• Conduct peer design reviews and review drawings with cross-functional teams.
• Act as an individual contributor on design and development projects when needed.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain, Assembly, Test, Production, and Quality for interfaces and handoffs.
• Collaborate with mechanical, test, and production engineers to drive manufacturability and integration.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring engineers

Peer reviews

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering; or other engineering discipline

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

CAD

GD&T

Job description

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.

MANAGER, SPACECRAFT MECHANICAL DESIGN

Based out of Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, the Manager, Spacecraft Mechanical Design is a hands-on functional managing position that reports to the Space Vehicle Design Director. Your team will have 6 to 10 direct reports, and you will need to guide and mentor them while working alongside them on spacecraft development programs. You will also need to communicate your technical strategy and work cross-functionally on projects with almost every other engineering team.

Our ideal candidate is someone with a strong mechanical and structural background who has previously led spacecraft mechanical development programs. They will have expertise in designing, analyzing, building, and testing spacecraft structures and mechanisms. They will have successfully led engineering teams through challenging projects and will be comfortable working in a fast-paced development environment.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

• Perform functional management duties including 1-on-1s, performance reviews, and supporting their career development
• Coach and mentor engineers on your team
• Conduct peer reviews of designs and review drawings
• Perform duties as an individual contributor, including independent design and development work and organizing teams of engineers to execute larger projects
• Work with cross-disciplinary teams (i.e. Supply Chain, Assembly Integration & Test, Production, Quality) to ensure smooth interfaces and handoffs within the greater Space Systems organization
• Work closely with mechanical engineers, test engineers, and production to iterate through design concepts, with a focus on design-for-manufacture and design-for-integration
• Develop and maintain design standards, documentation templates, test specifications, and other processes

YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering; or other engineering discipline
• 8+ years of engineering experience
• 1+ years of experience as a team lead, manager, or technical leader
• US citizenship is required, due to program requirements

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Expertise in Siemens NX and Teamcenter
• Expertise in CAD, drafting, and GD&T
• Multiple successes in bringing spacecraft hardware from concept through launch
• Direct experience bringing spacecraft assemblies through environmental testing
• Demonstrable methodological approach to spacecraft design and mechanical development programs
• High proficiency in multiple areas of physics-based analysis and testing
• Comfort executing to aggressive deadlines within a high