Senior Spacecraft Mechanisms Engineer

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 142,000 - 236,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program

401(k) retirement plan with company  –

subsidized EV charging

onsite fitness centers

discounted gym memberships

complimentary snacks and beverages

50% employee discount on company merch

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer II to join our space vehicle design team. This role focuses on high-performance, lightweight satellite mechanisms and bus configurations, with hands-on work with flight hardware and active design development for civil, commercial, and defense missions.

The candidate will own designs from concept through production, perform analyses, and lead reviews, while collaborating across proposals and mission concepts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering; or other engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of mechanical engineering experience.
• Experience with CAD modeling and drawing.

Responsibilities

• Support Business Development with proposals and mission concepts.
• Develop high-performance and lightweight satellite systems, mechanisms, and satellite bus configurations.
• Develop concepts and satellite configurations for high-value science and interplanetary missions.
• Define mechanisms on modern satellite systems/bus.
• Own component designs from conceptual design through production, test and operation.
• Perform hand-calcs and FEA to drive design decisions.
• Lead key component design, manufacturing, and test reviews.
• Create and maintain product definition through CAD, drawings, and test/operations procedures.
• Manage development schedules, vendors, budgets, and other project deliverables.

Skills

CAD modeling

Drawing

U.S. citizenship required

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Master’s or PhD in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Job description

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer II to join our space vehicle design team. This role focuses on high-performance, lightweight satellite mechanisms and bus configurations, with hands-on work with flight hardware and active design development for civil, commercial, and defense missions.

The candidate will own designs from concept through production, perform analyses, and lead reviews, while collaborating across proposals and mission concepts.