Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Lead

Rocket Lab Corp.; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Subsidized EV charging

Onsite fitness centers

Discounted gym memberships

Complimentary snacks and beverages

50% merch store discount

Employee discounts

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Engineer II to own propulsion system development for civil, commercial, and defense programs from Long Beach, CA. You will lead cross- discipline teams through design, modelling, testing, and verification, ensuring system-level performance and reliability.

You will apply deep propulsion expertise, model validation with test data, and end-to-end development experience while mentoring others and driving technical risk decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field.
• 8+ years of propulsion system development experience.
• Active Secret clearance with TS/SCI eligibility; US citizenship required.
• Expertise in propulsion modelling and validation with test data.
• Experience with end-to-end development and systems engineering processes.
• Experience with propulsion systems using different propellants.

Responsibilities

• Own development of products or systems, leading end-to-end efforts.
• Perform conceptual and detailed performance calculations and modelling.
• Gather and manage system requirements and verification plans.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to the team.
• Plan tests, set up instrumentation, and analyze data.
• Communicate with stakeholders and manage technical risks.
• Oversee project scheduling and deliverables for leadership.
• Contribute to process improvements and documentation.

Skills

Propulsion modelling

Static analysis

Transient analysis

Model validation

End-to-end development

Systems Engineering V

Risk-based decisions

Storable propellants

Hands-on engineering

Python

Communication skills

Technical leadership

Data analysis with test data

Decision making under uncertainty

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s or PhD (preferred)

US citizenship or eligibility

Active Secret clearance with TS/SCI eligibility

Tools

NX CAD

Teamcenter / Windchill

Jama

Simulink

Amesim / EcosimPro

Python for data analysis

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Engineer II to own propulsion system development for civil, commercial, and defense programs from Long Beach, CA. You will lead cross- discipline teams through design, modelling, testing, and verification, ensuring system-level performance and reliability.

You will apply deep propulsion expertise, model validation with test data, and end-to-end development experience while mentoring others and driving technical risk decisions.