Senior Electrical Engineer: Space Avionics & EO Systems

Rocket Lab USA; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab seeks a Senior Electrical Engineer II to own the complete lifecycle of avionics hardware for command and control of electro-optical systems, and to lead architecture decisions for EO sensor capabilities across LEO, GEO and Cis-Lunar missions.

You will design and integrate complex electronics, develop payload-level designs with processors, FPGAs, and cryptographic devices, and perform schematic capture and PCBA layout using Altium Designer.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering or other engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of electrical hardware design experience.
• Ability to develop blank-sheet design concepts.
• Experience in PCBA design with FPGAs.
• Knowledge of processors, FPGAs, SMPS, interfaces and analog instrumentation.
• Strong background in analog electronics design.
• Proficiency with SPICE and Excel for circuit analysis.
• U.S. citizenship is required.

Responsibilities

• Own complete lifecycle of avionics hardware for command and control of electro-optical systems.
• Lead architecture decisions to advance EO sensor capabilities across LEO, GEO, and Cis-Lunar missions.
• Design and integrate complex electronics including FPGA, microcontroller, low-noise ADC/DAC, and VPX systems at CCA/module level.
• Develop Payload level designs integrating motor controllers, processing units, imagers, and cryptographic devices.
• Perform schematic capture and PCBA layout using Altium Designer.
• Develop PCBA requirements through cross-functional collaboration with systems, mechanical, thermal, optical and software teams.
• Plan and execute design verification testing and system integration testing.
• Own environmental qualification programs including EMI/EMC, TVAC, shock, vibration, and other mission-specific tests.
• Support failure analysis and root-cause investigations for units in test, integration, or on-orbit operations.

Skills

8+ years of electrical hardware design

Blank sheet design concepts

PCBA design with FPGAs

Processors and FPGAs

Switch mode power supplies

Analog instrumentation

SPICE and Excel analysis

US citizenship required

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Job description

Rocket Lab seeks a Senior Electrical Engineer II to own the complete lifecycle of avionics hardware for command and control of electro-optical systems, and to lead architecture decisions for EO sensor capabilities across LEO, GEO and Cis-Lunar missions.

You will design and integrate complex electronics, develop payload-level designs with processors, FPGAs, and cryptographic devices, and perform schematic capture and PCBA layout using Altium Designer.