Senior HITL Engineer — Spacecraft Hardware-in-the-Loop

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab, a leading space company, seeks a Senior HITL Engineer I based in Long Beach, CA. You will design, operate, and maintain HITL systems for spacecraft buses, working closely with test hardware and cross-disciplinary teams.

You will analyze test data, support Day of Launch simulations, and contribute to precise documentation and test plans. This role emphasizes hands-on hardware work, rapid problem-solving, and delivering reliable HITL solutions.

Qualifications

• Experience designing, maintaining, and operating HITL systems for spacecraft buses.
• Hands-on work with test and flight hardware in a space environment.
• Ability to analyze test data to determine pass/fail criteria and root causes.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, operate, and maintain HITL systems for Rocket Lab spacecraft buses.
• Work hands-on with test and flight hardware.
• Collaborate in cross-disciplinary teams to verify spacecraft bus functionality and performance.
• Operate Day of Launch simulations for specific missions.
• Document systems with diagrams, schematics, ICDs, and procedures.
• Analyze raw test data to assess pass/fail criteria.
• Troubleshoot anomalies and communicate findings to internal teams, vendors, and customers.
• Provide critical review for test plans.

Skills

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) systems

Test and flight hardware

Data analysis

Cross-disciplinary teamwork

Tools

System diagrams

Schematic capture

Procedures writing

Job description

Rocket Lab, a leading space company, seeks a Senior HITL Engineer I based in Long Beach, CA. You will design, operate, and maintain HITL systems for spacecraft buses, working closely with test hardware and cross-disciplinary teams.

You will analyze test data, support Day of Launch simulations, and contribute to precise documentation and test plans. This role emphasizes hands-on hardware work, rapid problem-solving, and delivering reliable HITL solutions.