Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer—Trajectory & Missions

Rocket Lab; Littleton (CO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Littleton, CO is seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer I to design and analyze launch vehicle and spacecraft trajectories, including ascent, orbit insertion, and maneuvers.

You will work with cross‑functional teams across Systems, Ground Software, and Flight Software to validate guidance profiles, perform mission analyses, and support mission readiness reviews while adhering to ITAR and security requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Space Systems, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in mission design and flight dynamics.
• Strong knowledge of orbital mechanics and Kalman filtering.
• Mission analysis with STK, Astrogator, GMAT, Monte, Copernicus, or equivalent.
• Git version control and Jira software experience.
• U.S. citizenship is required for ITAR-restricted programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and analyze launch vehicle and spacecraft trajectories (ascent, insertion, maneuvers).
• Perform orbital propagation, rendezvous planning, and station-keeping analysis.
• Support mission design with launch windows, delta‑V budgets, contingency planning.
• Interface with flight software and GNC to validate guidance profiles.
• Deliver trajectory data products and provide flight dynamics support for readiness reviews.
• Contribute to in‑house simulation tools and flight dynamics infrastructure.
• Support real‑time mission operations including anomaly response and post‑launch data analysis.

Skills

Orbital mechanics

Trajectory design

Maneuver design

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Space Systems, or related field

Tools

STK

Astrogator

GMAT

Monte

Copernicus

Git

Jira

Job description

Rocket Lab in Littleton, CO is seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer I to design and analyze launch vehicle and spacecraft trajectories, including ascent, orbit insertion, and maneuvers.

You will work with cross‑functional teams across Systems, Ground Software, and Flight Software to validate guidance profiles, perform mission analyses, and support mission readiness reviews while adhering to ITAR and security requirements.