Senior Composite Manufacturing Engineer — Space Launch

Rocket Lab Corporation; Middle River (MD); On-site; USD 115,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in the company

Medical coverage (HMO/PPO)

Vacation: 3 weeks

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Middle River, MD seeks a Senior Manufacturing Engineer for composites to drive development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of composite manufacturing technologies and processes for the Neutron launch vehicle structure. The role focuses on safety, quality, and efficiency in a high‑volume production environment.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s in a mechanical/aerospace/manufacturing field and 5+ years of relevant experience in composites, with preference for AFP,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering, or another technical degree.
• 5+ years of composite manufacturing experience.

Responsibilities

• Identify capital equipment, machine, and layout needs with business cases.
• Develop production processes with testing, safety, and sign‑offs.
• Design tooling and equipment for safe, quality, delivery, and cost targets.
• Contribute to facility construction projects with requirements and design reviews.
• Provide expert input on design for manufacture/test, productivity, and quality.
• Oversee new products and revisions for the Neutron launch vehicle composite structure.
• Lead root-cause investigations and containment actions.
• Analyze and resolve manufacturing discrepancies and non-conformances.
• Introduce automation and link equipment data to MRP and quality systems.
• Identify risks and improvements for the manufacturing engineering team.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians daily.

Skills

Composite manufacturing

3-D CAD software

Tooling design

Automated Fiber Placement

Autoclave & out-of-autoclave

NDT/inspection

Qualification testing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical/aerospace/manufacturing engineering

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Rocket Lab in Middle River, MD seeks a Senior Manufacturing Engineer for composites to drive development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of composite manufacturing technologies and processes for the Neutron launch vehicle structure. The role focuses on safety, quality, and efficiency in a high‑volume production environment.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s in a mechanical/aerospace/manufacturing field and 5+ years of relevant experience in composites, with preference for AFP,