Senior TPM: Space Sensing & Domain Awareness (TS/SCI)

Rocket Lab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 134,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Stock options / equity

Medical, dental & vision plans

Paid vacation & sick time

401(k) with company match

Onsite fitness centers

Job summary

Rocket Lab, a leader in space systems, seeks a Senior Technical Program Manager II for Space Sensing & Domain Awareness. Based in Long Beach, you will own the technical roadmap for EO/IR payloads, lead complex programs end-to-end, and manage supplier relationships to ensure on-time delivery.

The role requires 8+ years of program management and a TS/SCI clearance, with hands-on experience moving hardware and software from prototype to flight-ready production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
• 8+ years of program management experience
• Demonstrated track record of owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and delivering under pressure
• Evidence you've moved hardware and software from prototype toward scalable, flight-ready production
• Understanding of EO/IR sensing, optical payloads, or focal plane arrays
• Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before impact
• Active TS/SCI clearance

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the team that takes EO/IR sensing payloads from concept through qualification and production
• Run multiple active programs, make architectural calls with Chief Engineers, manage trade-offs in pointing stability and jitter
• Grow a culture that backs bold decisions and learns from misses
• Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners
• Synchronize cross-functional teams across optics, electronics, software, and data chain
• Serve as the primary point of contact for U.S. Government customers and support proposals and narratives

Skills

Program management

Technical leadership

Risk management

Clearance TS/SCI

EO/IR sensing knowledge

Supply chain management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Physics/Math/Science

Tools

Jira

Confluence

ERP

Job description

Rocket Lab, a leader in space systems, seeks a Senior Technical Program Manager II for Space Sensing & Domain Awareness. Based in Long Beach, you will own the technical roadmap for EO/IR payloads, lead complex programs end-to-end, and manage supplier relationships to ensure on-time delivery.

The role requires 8+ years of program management and a TS/SCI clearance, with hands-on experience moving hardware and software from prototype to flight-ready production.