Senior Optomechanical Engineer – Spaceflight Hardware Lead

Rocket Lab USA; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top-tier medical benefits (HMO/PPO) +

Company 401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase program

Job summary

Rocket Lab USA is seeking a Senior Optomechanical Engineer I/II to lead mechanical design for optical payloads, camera systems, and precision mechanisms at Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, CA. You will translate program needs into robust opto‑mechanical architectures and drive designs through all phases from concept to flight delivery.

The ideal candidate has hands‑on experience with SolidWorks, tolerance analysis, and STOP/thermal‑structural analyses, delivering hardware that remains robust

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, optical, mechatronics, robotics, or related engineering.
• 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience.
• Experience delivering spaceflight hardware from concept through design, build, integration, environmental test, qualification, and flight delivery.
• Experience designing precision mechanical hardware, opto‑mechanical assemblies, mechanisms, aerospace hardware, sensor assemblies, or electromechanical systems.
• Experience performing or leading structural‑thermal‑optical performance analysis, thermal‑elastic analysis, or equivalent analysis used to verify opto‑mechanical alignment, stability, and performance through launch and flight environments.
• Experience leading component or subsystem designs from concept through build, procurement, integration, test, qualification, and production readiness.
• Experience with SolidWorks CAD modeling, production drawing creation, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and mechanical design documentation.
• Hands‑on experience supporting hardware integration, troubleshooting, inspection, test, environmental qualification, or precision alignment activities.

Responsibilities

• Lead assigned opto‑mechanical and precision mechanical design projects, including scope, requirements, schedules, risks, milestones, and verification approaches.
• Own opto‑mechanical hardware through its full lifecycle, including design, analysis, review, procurement, vendor coordination, assembly, integration, alignment, environmental test, qualification, and flight delivery.
• Collaborate with electrical, software, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and test teams to identify requirements and evaluate alternatives for build‑ready mechanical solutions.
• Develop opto‑mechanical hardware for camera systems, optical payloads, sensor assemblies, lens and filter mounts.
• Design precision mechanisms used with optical and sensor systems, including pointing assemblies and motorized stages.
• Create tooling, fixtures, and ground support equipment for assembly, integration, alignment, inspection, test, and production support.
• Define mechanical architectures, interfaces, packaging, tolerance approaches, alignment concepts, and integration plans.
• Ensure hardware meets stiffness, thermal stability, alignment retention, and manufacturability requirements.
• Perform structural, thermal, tolerance, and thermo‑optical analyses to verify alignment and performance.
• Lead design reviews with stakeholders and drive closure on actions.
• Create and maintain product definitions using SolidWorks and produce BOMs, drawings, and test procedures.

Skills

Opto‑mechanical design

Tolerance analysis

FEM/FEA

Technical mentorship

Project leadership

First-principles calculations

Team collaboration

Spaceflight hardware experience

Engineering analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, optical, mechatronics, robotics, or related engineering discipline

Tools

SolidWorks CAD

Job description

Rocket Lab USA is seeking a Senior Optomechanical Engineer I/II to lead mechanical design for optical payloads, camera systems, and precision mechanisms at Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, CA. You will translate program needs into robust opto‑mechanical architectures and drive designs through all phases from concept to flight delivery.

The ideal candidate has hands‑on experience with SolidWorks, tolerance analysis, and STOP/thermal‑structural analyses, delivering hardware that remains robust