Senior Production Engineer I

Rocket Lab Corporation; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Albuquerque, NM is seeking a Senior Production Engineer I to develop and maintain manufacturing processes for space-grade solar panels, ensuring reliability on orbit. You will support the Panel Engineering Manager and the Production organization, delivering material for internal leadership, board, and investors.

You will champion process improvements on the production floor, work with operators and technicians, and apply knowledge of materials, welding, adhesives, and automated

Qualifications

• Attention to detail and strong writing of technical instructions.
• Experience documenting standard work and procedures.
• 1+ years working with manufacturing process improvements or similar.

Responsibilities

• Function as the technical champion of manufacturing processes on the production floor.
• Liaise between technical/process groups and operations/execution teams.
• Proactively remove hurdles so operators and technicians can excel.
• Develop understanding of solar cell mechanics and assembly methods.
• Understand effects of temperature, space environment, and materials used in solar panels.
• Gain knowledge of welding, fixturing, and additive manufacturing techniques.
• Apply knowledge of electrical circuits in solar panels and design constraints thereof.
• Collaborate with area engineers to monitor and improve processes.
• Support automated assembly lines using PLCs and automation tools.
• Create and maintain standard work instructions for new processes.
• Train operators on proper equipment use and provide daily support.
• Foster collaboration among operators, technicians, engineers, and managers.

Skills

Attention to detail

Technical instruction writing

PLC based systems

Process automation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related technical field

Tools

SQL

SPC

Robotics

Job description

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

Space Systems

At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

Senior Production Engineer I

Based out of Rocket Lab's site in Albuquerque, NM as part of the SolAero Technologies acquisition, the Senior Production Engineer I is responsible for developing and maintaining processes for building advanced solar panels for space applications and ensuring they won’t fail on orbit. You will support the Panel Engineering Manager and the Production organization, with deliverables required for internal leadership, board of directors, and investors.

What You’ll Get to Do

• Function as the technical champion of our manufacturing processes, solving problems in real-time with the Operators and Technicians building spaceflight hardware
• Be the liaison between the technical/process parts of the business and the operations/execution arm on the production floor
• Proactively remove hurdles from those executing manufacturing processes and maintain an environment where manufacturing operators and technicians can excel.
• Develop a practical understanding of the design, construction, manufacturing methods and operating principles of series interconnected multi-junction solar cells.
• Develop a practical understanding of the effects that external variables such as temperature, strain conditions, and the effects of a space environment can have on the materials used in the manufacture of solar panels.
• Develop a detailed understanding of parallel gap resistance welding, mechanical fixturing for high throughput assembly, and additive manufacturing techniques.
• Develop a practical working knowledge of the dispense and cure of space grade polymeric adhesives, the methods by which they can be mixed, degassed, and applied. An understanding should be built about the methods by which these materials cure and the factors that drive the effectiveness and rate of that cure.
• Develop a working knowledge of the electrical circuits used in solar panels and the design constraints thereof
• Combine the understanding described above to support current manufacturing capability and work to monitor/improve/expand the existing processes by working with area engineers
• Use your background with PLCs and process automation to support an automated assembly line
• Use analysis tools such as Excel, JMP and presentation tools such as Word and PowerPoint to develop and present results of experiments that you may help execute to internal groups
• Use your experience writing technical documents to help develop a set of standard work instructions for new automated manufacturing processes
• Effectively train operators on the proper use of equipment, and support their work with proper guidance, expertise and help. Provide the daily support that these folks need to be successful.
• Develop collaborative working relationships with operators, technicians, engineers, and managers.

You’ll Bring These Qualifications

• ABachelor’s degree in a related technical field or sufficient equivalent experience.
• 5+ years related experience supporting a manufacturing line in a technical role
• Attention to detail and previous demonstrated experience with writing technical instruction documents

These Qualifications Would be Nice to Have

• E xperience working with PLC based systems or automated manufacturing tools
• Experience designing tooling and mechanical solutions to support a manufacturing line or process
• Experience with any programming or scripting is a plus, as is SQL experience
• Experience using Statistical Process Control (SPC) to understand whether a process is performing as intended
• Experience with parallel gap resistance welding, polymeric adhesives, wiring, or mechanical fixturing processes

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

What to Expect

We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.

For Candidates Seeking to Work in U.S Offices Only

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at [e-mail]. This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

For Candidates Seeking to Work in New Zealand Offices Only

For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.

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