Senior Spacecraft Harness Design Engineer

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Company stock

Top-tier medical plans

Dental & vision coverage

Paid time off & holidays

401(k) with company match

Disability & life insurance

Employee discounts

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Harness Design Engineer II to design, develop, and integrate electrical harnesses for spacecraft at our Long Beach facility. You will define interfaces, select components, specify split locations, and generate detailed design artifacts to support the spacecraft engineering team.

You will collaborate with systems, mechanical, and AIT teams to ensure seamless harness integration, perform electrical analysis, and contribute to design reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering; or other engineering degree.
• 8+ years of electrical engineering or avionics experience.
• Experience in the aerospace/defense industry.
• Experience supporting satellite development programs and satellite operations.
• Proficiency in electrical engineering principles, including power distribution, signal integrity, grounding, and communication systems (RS-422, SPI, Ethernet, CAN bus).
• Experience with harness design tools such as Capital Essentials, NX, and Teamcenter.
• Familiarity with industry standards for harness design and fabrication (NASA-STD-8739.4, IPC/WHMA-A-620).
• Experience with electrical testing of harness systems, including continuity testing, insulation resistance testing, and functional testing.
• Knowledge of thermal and mechanical considerations for harness routing and integration.
• Familiarity with requirement management tools such as JAMA.
• Ability to work in a dynamic environment with competing priorities.
• Ability to obtain a Top Secret Clearance

Responsibilities

• Design and develop electrical harness systems for spacecraft, including connector and backshell selection, wire selection, shielding, and routing.
• Generate wiring diagrams, pinout tables, and interface definitions for harness systems based on spacecraft interconnect diagrams.
• Collaborate with systems engineering to interpret system architecture and define electrical interfaces.
• Create and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs) for harness systems in the product lifecycle management (PLM) tool.
• Develop and maintain fabrication drawings and documentation for harness systems using Capital Essentials, NX, and Teamcenter.
• Support harness fabrication processes, ensuring compliance with space-grade standards and industry best practices.
• Define and verify harness acceptance criteria, including electrical testing and inspection.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and AIT) to ensure proper integration of harnesses into spacecraft.
• Electrical Engineering responsibilities:
• Perform electrical design and analysis to ensure harness systems meet performance, reliability, and manufacturability requirements.
• Support electrical system schematics and harness design documentation.
• Participate in design reviews, providing technical input and ensuring harness designs meet program requirements.
• Troubleshoot and resolve electrical issues related to harness systems during fabrication, integration, and testing.

Skills

8+ years electrical engineering/avioni

Power distribution

Signal integrity

Grounding

Communication systems (RS-422, SPI, E

Harness design experience

Satellites development experience

Clearance eligibility (Top Secret)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering; or other engineering degree

Tools

Capital Essentials

NX

Teamcenter

JAMA

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Harness Design Engineer II to design, develop, and integrate electrical harnesses for spacecraft at our Long Beach facility. You will define interfaces, select components, specify split locations, and generate detailed design artifacts to support the spacecraft engineering team.

You will collaborate with systems, mechanical, and AIT teams to ensure seamless harness integration, perform electrical analysis, and contribute to design reviews.