Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Test Engineer II

Rocket Lab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Test Engineer II to plan, prepare, and execute engine and propulsion component testing. You will own the test facility, equipment, and test operations to support development, qualification, and production testing.

The role provides hands-on leadership, opportunity to influence reliability and performance, and collaboration with a world-class team on missions from Moon to beyond. Travel to test facilities is expected.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in rocket engine test engineering or equivalent high-performance field.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering (aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or related).
• Ability to travel to test facilities and work off-site for extended periods.
• Experience with engine test facilities and hot fire testing of liquid rocket engines, including instrumentation and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Set and maintain best practices for all aspects of testing, ensuring a high standard of excellence across the team.
• Provide guidance, training, mentorship, and technical leadership to team members on testing methodologies and processes.
• Review and sign off on test plans and test reports, ensuring quality and compliance with requirements.
• Support engineers and leadership with risk-based decision making to guide the team through development challenges.
• Own the full testing lifecycle, including test planning, setup, instrumentation, execution, data analysis, and reporting.
• Apply a systems engineering mindset to testing activities, integrating with broader engineering efforts.
• Communicate regularly and effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external to the team.
• Define, document, and uphold standards of excellence through training, coaching, and review of others’ work.
• Contribute to meaningful, career-defining projects alongside exceptional colleagues in a collaborative environment.

Skills

Rocket engine testing

Test engineering leadership

Data analysis

Instrumentation & data acquisition

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

National Instruments

Beckhoff PLC

Job description

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity's reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity's reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

SPACE SYSTEMS

At Rocket Lab, we're not just launching rockets - we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more. Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it's a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space - our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

SENIOR SPACECRAFT PROPULSION TEST ENGINEER II

As a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Test Engineer II on our propulsion engineering team based out of Long Beach, CA, your purpose will be to plan, prepare for, and execute engine and propulsion component testing. This includes ownership of the test facility, equipment, and test operations. You will play a critical role in successful development, qualification, and production testing, which directly results in the success of our missions and products. As part of the propulsion development team, you will be involved with engine and propulsion system development from cradle-to-grave, providing test-driven insights that improve the reliability, manufacturability, testability, and performance of our products.

What You'll Get To Do

• Set and maintain best practices for all aspects of testing, ensuring a high standard of excellence across the team
• Provide guidance, training, mentorship, and technical leadership to team members on testing methodologies and processes
• Review and sign off on test plans and test reports, ensuring quality and compliance with requirements
• Support engineers and leadership with risk-based decision making to guide the team through development challenges
• Own the full testing lifecycle, including test planning, setup, instrumentation, execution, data analysis, and reporting
• Apply a systems engineering mindset to testing activities, integrating with broader engineering efforts
• Communicate regularly and effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external to the team
• Define, document, and uphold standards of excellence through training, coaching, and review of others’ work
• Contribute to meaningful, career-defining projects alongside exceptional colleagues in a collaborative environment

You'll Bring These Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in rocket engine test engineering, or equivalent high-performance field
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, (aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or other technical engineering discipline)
• Ability to travel to test facilities and work off-site for extended periods
• Prior work on engine test facilities and experience hot fire testing liquid rocket engines, including instrumentation, test operation, and data analysis
• Expertise in instrumentation, automation, and data acquisition using either National Instruments or Beckhoff PLC

These Qualifications Would Be Nice To Have

• Experience working with hypergolic propellants, or experience designing, building, or maintaining flight or GSE systems for hypergolic propellant service
• Excited by the opportunity to establish a new capability for Rocket Lab and the country
• Great communication skills and the ability to lead a team to execute a technical project. This requires an understanding of the fundamentals of technical project management and systems engineering to manage interfaces and deliverables across all teams involved
• Genuine passion for engineering, strong attention to detail, and an eagerness to learn
• Excellent documentation and organization of engineering information, including test plans, test reports, facility configuration management, etc.
• Track record of successfully investigating and resolving the root causes of anomalies during testing or flight
• Strong understanding of standard aerospace testing including random vibration, shock, thermal cycle, thermal vacuum, helium leak