Senior Technical Program Manager, Satellite Production

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 188,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Top-tier medical plans

Dental and vision coverage

Paid vacation & holidays

401(k) with company match

Subsidized EV charging

Job summary

Based at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you are the program authority for high-volume satellite production, owning rate, yield, unit cost, and strategic program decisions from prototype maturity through full-rate production.

This is a high-ownership role: you will lead multiple programs, make architectural calls, manage design-for-manufacturing trade-offs, and partner with engineers, supply chain, and BD to enable future constellation production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline.
• 5+ years of aerospace program management experience.
• Proven end-to-end ownership of a technical program, product, or team under pressure.
• Evidence of moving hardware/software from prototype to high-rate production with quantified gains.
• Understanding of takt time, line-of-balance, design-for-manufacturing, and learning-curve economics.
• Experience identifying and neutralizing tooling, supply-chain, or yield risks.
• U.S. citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-volume satellite production programs from concept through full-rate production.
• Coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain to optimize cost and schedule.
• Guide architectural decisions and trade-offs with Chief Engineers.
• Develop a culture of bold yet disciplined execution and mentorship.
• Manage high-stakes subcontracts and external partners as strategic allies.
• Interface with constellation operators and collaborate on proposals and narratives.

Skills

Program management

Technical leadership

Aerospace industry know‑how

Hardware & software integration

Manufacturing optimization

Security clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or related field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

ERP/MRP

Job description

Based at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you are the program authority for high-volume satellite production, owning rate, yield, unit cost, and strategic program decisions from prototype maturity through full-rate production.

This is a high-ownership role: you will lead multiple programs, make architectural calls, manage design-for-manufacturing trade-offs, and partner with engineers, supply chain, and BD to enable future constellation production.