Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Engineer II

InvestedintheMission; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental & vision

Paid time off

401(k) match

EV charging

Job summary

Rocket Lab's Propulsion Systems Engineer II location in Long Beach, CA, leads end-to-end development for propulsion systems, performing modeling, testing, and stakeholder communication. The role emphasizes technical leadership, risk-based decision making, and documentation to maintain engineering excellence.

The position requires a bachelor’s in engineering, 2+ years in propulsion, U.S. citizenship, and the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of propulsion system development experience.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own development of new or existing products or systems, acting as a technical lead to guide the team through end-to-end development.
• Conceptual and detailed performance calculations, systems modeling, analysis, and system designs.
• Requirements gathering, definition, and management.
• Systems engineering activities and leadership within the team.
• Test planning, setup, instrumentation, execution, and data analysis.
• Communicate with project stakeholders internal and external to the team.

Skills

Propulsion system development

Systems engineering

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

Teamcenter

Windchill

Jama

NX

Job description

Propulsion Systems Engineer II

Location: Long Beach, CA.

Responsibilities

• Own development of new or existing products or systems, acting as a technical lead to guide the team through end-to-end development.
• Conceptual and detailed performance calculations, systems modeling, analysis, and system designs.
• Requirements gathering, definition, and management.
• Systems engineering activities and leadership within the team.
• Test planning, setup, instrumentation, execution, and data analysis.
• Communicate with project stakeholders internal and external to the team.
• Technical risk‑based decision making for the right/best solution when faced with an engineering challenge.
• Project management including schedule building and maintenance, identifying top‑priority items, tasking other engineers and technicians, and communicating status to leadership and other teams.
• Mentorship and coaching of people within the team on technical and professional development.
• Defining and maintaining the standard of excellence for the team through documentation, training, coaching, and review of others’ work.
• Contributing to engineering process development and documentation at Rocket Lab related to areas of experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of experience in propulsion system development or other high‑performance field.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Nice to Have

• Passion for engineering, curious mindset, and willingness to learn.
• Hands‑on engineering skills inside or outside the workplace.
• Comfortable working with high levels of ambiguity.
• Experience in propulsion system modeling, static and transient analysis, and model validation using test data (software such as Amesim, EcosimPro, Simulink, Simscape, or similar).
• Experience with different storable propellants, including electrical and chemical.
• Excellent communication skills and teamwork.
• Scheduling and delivery planning abilities.
• Experience with the Systems Engineering V and risk‑based decision making.
• Experience with Jama.
• Python for data manipulation and post‑processing.
• Mechanical design using NX (preferred) or equivalent CAD.
• GD&T and engineering drawings experience.
• Product Lifecycle Management software such as Teamcenter (preferred), Windchill, or similar.
• National Instruments data acquisition systems experience.
• Flight hardware testing and troubleshooting experience.
• Master’s or Ph.D. in engineering (preferred).

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary range (California): $100,000 – $130,000 USD. In addition to base pay, employees may receive company equity and a robust benefits package.

• Top tier medical HMO, PPO & a 100% company‑sponsored 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 and life insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• Discounted employee stock purchase program.
• Subsidized EV charging stations.
• Onsite gym, food and drinks, and other discounts.

Eligible Candidates

To comply with U.S. government export regulations, Rocket Lab employees must be U.S. citizens, lawful U.S. permanent residents, or persons admitted into the U.S. as refugees or granted asylum. Candidates seeking to work in the U.S. must meet these requirements.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

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.