Senior Space Systems Engineer - Electrical & Controls

Rocket Lab Corp.; Tucson, Northern (AZ, KY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab's Space Systems team in Tucson, AZ is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer I to design, develop, and test space-based electro-optical sensors and related architectures. You will lead system-level efforts across electrical interfaces, control logic, and subsystem integration for mission-critical programs.

The role emphasizes developing requirements, documenting interfaces, and coordinating with hardware, software, and test teams to ensure performance and mission success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, systems, or aerospace engineering; or other technical discipline
• 5+ years of engineering experience, including 3+ years supporting development programs and 2+ years in technical leadership, CAM, IPTL, or equivalent role
• Demonstrated systems engineering experience with emphasis on electrical architecture, subsystem integration, and controls focused development
• Strong electrical engineering background supporting complex aerospace, payload, avionics, or instrument systems
• Experience developing system requirements, interface definitions, and verification approaches for complex systems
• Strong background in electrical interfaces, control functions, avionics integration, or subsystem architecture
• Experience with requirements management and modeling tools such as JAMA, DOORS, Cameo, or similar tools
• Experience working across hardware, software, and firmware development throughout the lifecycle
• Familiarity with command and telemetry interfaces, power architectures, signal interfaces, timing, synchronization, and control logic
• Experience supporting integration and test, including troubleshooting electrical or controls-related issues at the subsystem or system level
• Strong ability to read, interpret, and develop electrical, interface, and system technical documentation
• Familiarity with aerospace development standards, environmental testing, and mission assurance practices

Responsibilities

• Support the development of system architecture for space-based optical instruments, subsystems, and payloads on airborne and space platforms
• Define, decompose, and manage system requirements with focus on electrical behavior, control functions, subsystem interactions, and overall system performance
• Develop and maintain technical documentation including architecture descriptions, interface control documents, electrical interface definitions, concepts of operations, state and mode descriptions, test plans, and verification artifacts
• Support development of electrical and functional architectures, including command and telemetry flow, power distribution, control logic, signal paths, timing, synchronization, and subsystem interaction
• Collaborate with hardware, software, firmware, and test teams to ensure the electrical architecture and controls implementation align with system requirements and mission intent
• Support the development, integration, and testing of space payloads to be integrated on spacecraft platforms
• Support hardware and software development teams with system-level test planning, debugging, integration, and execution of verification procedures; analyze data and recommend design refinements
• Participate in hardware and software verification and validation activities related to system behavior, electrical performance, controls implementation, and interface compliance
• Support architecture trades involving sensors, motor control, embedded electronics, power systems, command and data handling, and subsystem interfaces
• Participate in technical interchange meetings and project discussions with internal teams, customers, and external partners as needed
• Identify, assess, and help mitigate technical risks related to electrical architecture, controls implementation, and subsystem integration
• Support travel or off-site work as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills

Electrical architecture

Systems engineering

Interface definitions

Verification approaches

Telemetry interfaces

Power architectures

Control logic

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor in electrical, systems, or aerospace engineering

Tools

JAMA

DOORS

Cameo

Job description

Rocket Lab's Space Systems team in Tucson, AZ is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer I to design, develop, and test space-based electro-optical sensors and related architectures. You will lead system-level efforts across electrical interfaces, control logic, and subsystem integration for mission-critical programs.

The role emphasizes developing requirements, documenting interfaces, and coordinating with hardware, software, and test teams to ensure performance and mission success.