Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Lead

Rocketlab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top-tier medical HMO

Company-sponsored HSA plan

Dental and vision coverage

3 weeks paid vacation

11 paid holidays per year

401(k) with match

Onsite gym

Discounted stock purchase

Job summary

Rocket Lab seeks a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Engineer I in Long Beach, CA. You will own propulsion system development across civil, commercial, and defense programs, guiding end‑to‑end design, analysis, and testing.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s in engineering, 5+ years in propulsion, and strong modelling/validation skills with Amesim, EcosimPro, Simulink, or Simscape. Base pay reflects CA market norms; comprehensive benefits apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or related).
• 5+ years in propulsion system development or high‑performance fields.
• US citizenship required due to program rules.
• Expertise in propulsion modelling, static/transient analysis, and validation with test data.

Responsibilities

• Own development of new or existing propulsion products and lead end‑to‑end projects.
• Perform performance calculations, system modelling, analysis, and designs.
• Gather and manage requirements; participate in risk-based decision making.
• Lead testing planning, instrumentation setup, data analysis and reporting.
• Mentor teammates and maintain engineering documentation standards.

Skills

propulsion modelling

static and transient analysis

model validation (Amesim/EcosimPro/Sim

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

Amesim

EcosimPro

Simulink

Simscape

Jama

Job description

Rocket Lab seeks a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Engineer I in Long Beach, CA. You will own propulsion system development across civil, commercial, and defense programs, guiding end‑to‑end design, analysis, and testing.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s in engineering, 5+ years in propulsion, and strong modelling/validation skills with Amesim, EcosimPro, Simulink, or Simscape. Base pay reflects CA market norms; comprehensive benefits apply.