Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer – Equity Eligible

Rocket Lab USA; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock purchase program

Equity grant

Onsite fitness centers

Discounted gym memberships

Snacks and beverages

Merchandise discounts

Job summary

Rocket Lab USA is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer I/II to safeguard a growing satellite fleet from Long Beach, CA. You will enable software-driven mission execution, develop ground and flight software, and support AIT with cross-functional engineering teams.

You will work on diverse missions, including LEO constellations and interplanetary endeavors, while collaborating with Auckland and Long Beach teams. A strong background in space systems and software is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (software, electrical, aerospace, or related field).
• 5+ years in space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, or spacecraft operations.
• Understanding of attitude determination and control, power, comms, OBC, thermal control.
• Knowledge of space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics.
• Software development experience in Python/Ruby/C/C++ or similar.

Responsibilities

• Operate spacecraft using software-driven solutions for efficient missions.
• Develop and test ground software and scripting for long-term space ops.
• Design flight software sequences and telemetry configurations for fault management.
• Maintain CI/testing and run validation against spacecraft sims.
• Support AIT teams across multiple spacecraft tests (TVAC, propulsion, DITL).

Skills

Python

C/C++

Space systems knowledge

GNC

Systems engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's or PhD in engineering

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Cloud infrastructure

SIL/HIL testing

Job description

Rocket Lab USA is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer I/II to safeguard a growing satellite fleet from Long Beach, CA. You will enable software-driven mission execution, develop ground and flight software, and support AIT with cross-functional engineering teams.

You will work on diverse missions, including LEO constellations and interplanetary endeavors, while collaborating with Auckland and Long Beach teams. A strong background in space systems and software is essential.