Senior Mechanical Engineer, Space Robotics

Rocket Lab; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays

401(k) with company match

EV charging subsidy

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Pasadena, CA, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer II to lead design and development of space robotics, precision mechanisms, and ground support equipment. You will translate program needs into practical architectures, drive verification and flight delivery, and mentor engineers on design-for-manufacture practices.

The role requires deep SolidWorks expertise, GD&T, and experience delivering high-reliability hardware for spaceflight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, mechatronics, robotics, or another related engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of professional mechanical engineering experience, including significant aerospace, spaceflight, robotics, or other high-reliability hardware development experience.
• 3+ years serving as a responsible engineer or technical lead for mechanical component or subsystem development.
• Proven experience delivering hardware from concept through detailed design, procurement, build, integration, environmental test, qualification, and delivery.
• Deep experience designing precision mechanisms, robotic systems, aerospace hardware, or electromechanical assemblies.
• Strong SolidWorks experience, including complex CAD modeling, production drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, bills of material, and mechanical design documentation.
• Experience using first-principles calculations, tolerance analysis, FEA, inspection data, and test results to guide design decisions.
• Strong knowledge of aerospace materials, fabrication processes, mechanical interfaces, environmental requirements, verification methods, and design-for-manufacture principles.
• Hands-on experience supporting assembly, integration, troubleshooting, inspection, environmental testing, qualification, and design iteration.
• Experience leading technical reviews, coordinating cross-functional teams, communicating status and risks, and mentoring other engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead assigned mechanical and mechanism development efforts, including scope, requirements, schedules, technical risks, project milestones, and verification plans.
• Serve as responsible engineer for complex components or subsystems and own technical execution through design, procurement, build, test, qualification, and delivery.
• Lead trade studies and technical decisions involving mechanical architecture, packaging, interfaces, tolerance strategy, materials, fabrication approach, assembly flow, inspection planning, verification, and design risk.
• Lead design, manufacturing, and test reviews with engineering, production, quality, supply chain, and test stakeholders; document actions and drive closure.
• Manage technical schedules, vendors, budgets, build priorities, and risk-mitigation activities needed to meet program commitments.
• Mentor less-experienced engineers and contribute to mechanical design standards, best practices, design-for-manufacture improvements, and lessons learned.
• Develop precision mechanisms, robotic systems, electromechanical assemblies, tooling, fixtures, and ground support equipment for spaceflight and ground applications.
• Translate program, system, production, and test needs into practical mechanical architectures, interfaces, packaging concepts, and verification approaches.
• Develop mechanical hardware through concept development, trade studies, detailed design, analysis, drawing release, procurement, assembly, integration, environmental test, qualification, and delivery.
• Design space mechanisms and motion systems including actuators, gimbals, gear trains, harmonic drives, bearings, motors, rotary sensors, springs, launch locks, release devices, and kinematic or pseudo-kinematic interfaces.
• Create and maintain product definition in SolidWorks, including 3D CAD models, production drawings, interface details, bills of material, assembly documentation, test procedures, and supporting design analyses.
• Apply GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, material and process selection, first-principles calculations, and finite element analysis to make sound design decisions.
• Design hardware for stiffness, strength, thermal environments, vibration and shock, tolerance control, manufacturability, inspectability, assembly, integration, and test.
• Work closely with electrical, software, systems, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and test teams to evaluate alternatives and deliver practical, build-ready solutions.
• Support hardware assembly, integration, troubleshooting, inspection, environmental testing, qualification testing, fixture development, and review of test data.
• Coordinate with machine shops and suppliers to resolve fabrication questions, evaluate manufacturing approaches, and support timely hardware delivery.
• Document technical decisions, design analyses, test results, risks, and verification evidence in support of program milestones and design reviews.

Skills

SolidWorks

3D CAD modeling

GD&T

Tolerance analysis

Mechanical design

Spaceflight hardware

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, mechatronics, robotics, or another related engineering discipline

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 design and development of space robotics, precision mechanisms, and ground support equipment. You will translate program needs into practical architectures, drive verification and flight delivery, and mentor engineers on design-for-manufacture practices.

The role requires deep SolidWorks expertise, GD&T, and experience delivering high-reliability hardware for spaceflight.