Senior Mechanical Engineer II — Space Robotics Lead

Rocket Lab; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Medical plans

Dental and vision

Paid vacation and holidays

401(k) with company match

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Pasadena, CA, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer II to lead mechanical design and mechanism development for space robotics and ground support equipment. You will translate program needs into practical architectures, drive design through analysis, review, procurement, assembly, and flight delivery, with hands-on leadership in a high‑reliability environment.

The ideal candidate has deep SolidWorks expertise, experience in precision mechanisms, tolerance analysis, and spaceflight

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, mechatronics, robotics, or related field.
• 8+ years of professional mechanical engineering experience in aerospace/spaceflight or high‑reliability hardware.
• 3+ years as responsible engineer or technical lead for mechanical subsystems.
• Proven ability to deliver hardware from concept to flight delivery.
• Deep experience designing precision mechanisms and robotic systems.
• Strong SolidWorks experience with production drawings and GD&T.
• Experience using first‑principles, tolerance analysis, and FEA to guide design decisions.
• Knowledge of aerospace materials, interfaces, and design-for-manufacture.
• Hands‑on experience with assembly, integration, testing, and qualification.
• Experience leading technical reviews and cross‑functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical and mechanism development, including scope, schedule, risks, and verification plans.
• Serve as responsible engineer for complex components and drive delivery.
• Lead trade studies on architecture, interfaces, tolerances, and materials.
• Lead design reviews with engineering, production, quality, and supply chain.
• Manage schedules, vendors, budgets, and risk mitigation for program milestones.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to design standards.
• Develop spaceflight hardware including mechanisms, tooling, and ground support equipment.
• Translate program needs into practical mechanical architectures and verification approaches.
• Document design decisions, analyses, test results, and verification evidence.
• Collaborate with electrical, software, systems, and manufacturing teams to deliver build-ready solutions.

Skills

SolidWorks

Mechanical design

Tolerance analysis

Space hardware

Design for manufacturing

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, mechatronics, robotics

Master's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

Finite element analysis (FEA)

Job description

Rocket Lab in Pasadena, CA, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer II to lead mechanical design and mechanism development for space robotics and ground support equipment. You will translate program needs into practical architectures, drive design through analysis, review, procurement, assembly, and flight delivery, with hands-on leadership in a high‑reliability environment.

The ideal candidate has deep SolidWorks expertise, experience in precision mechanisms, tolerance analysis, and spaceflight