Space Systems Manufacturing Lead

InvestedintheMission; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 124,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity compensation

Employee stock purchase program

Top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO)

Dental and vision coverage

Paid vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays

401(k) with company match

EV charging subsidies

Onsite fitness centers

Snacks & beverages

Merchandise discounts

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer - Space Systems in California to advance manufacturability, lead production-line improvements, and mentor teams across design, manufacturing, and test functions.

The role emphasizes ownership of production processes, problem solving across complex systems, and driving efficiency while guiding organizational change and capital projects.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of technical experience in Manufacturing, Production, or Process Engineering.
• Proactive problem solving in complex manufacturing systems.
• Ability to manage multiple complex assignments with autonomy.
• Experience coaching and mentoring across teams.
• Deep knowledge of complex manufacturing processes.
• Leadership experience for teams and projects.
• Capital/facilities justification and project management.
• Experience interviewing and hiring for new roles.
• Ability to set team goals and drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Prepare feasibility studies and manufacturing technology R&D projects.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering to drive manufacturability at scale.
• Engineer and deliver factory design, procurement, installation, and validation.
• Support development builds to accelerate ramp-up and learnings.
• Own production lines to remove blockers and improve yield.
• Diagnose failures with root cause analysis and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate across functions to resolve complex issues.
• Drive process improvements across manufacturing, test, and integration.
• Contribute to change management and risk assessments.
• Support business systems and processes for efficiency.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Problem solving

Autonomy

Mentoring

Leadership

Project management

Hiring & onboarding

Process optimization

Performance metrics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or similar

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer - Space Systems in California to advance manufacturability, lead production-line improvements, and mentor teams across design, manufacturing, and test functions.

The role emphasizes ownership of production processes, problem solving across complex systems, and driving efficiency while guiding organizational change and capital projects.