Spacecraft I&T Lead: Integration & Test

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

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Company stock in total compensation

Top-tier medical plans

Dental and vision coverage

Paid vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays

401(k) with company match

EV charging subsidy

Onsite fitness centers

Discounted gym memberships

Merchandise discounts

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Manager, Spacecraft Integration & Test in Long Beach, CA. You will lead a 6–10 person team, oversee spacecraft integration, testing, and verification across programs, and partner with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure successful missions.

The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, systems integration expertise, and the ability to drive process improvements in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, electronics, mechatronics, or other engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in a systems test engineer or other hands-on engineering role.
• 1+ years of experience as a team lead, manager, or technical leader.
• Deep working knowledge of spacecraft subsystems (e.g., C&DH, ADCS, EPS, Propulsion, Thermal) and their system-level interactions.
• US citizenship is required, due to program requirements. Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Execute functional management duties, including 1-on-1s and performance reviews.
• Hire, mentor, and guide test engineering teams during milestones and flight readiness reviews.
• Drive standardized test specifications and optimized integration workflows across the department.
• Own the spacecraft integration and test lifecycle from early design through launch site operations and on-orbit commissioning.
• Collaborate with Design, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to ensure traceability and testability.

Skills

Systems testing

Team leadership

Spacecraft subsystems

Root-cause analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, electronics, mechatronics, or other engineering

Tools

Python

C++

MATLAB

SQL

Linux

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Manager, Spacecraft Integration & Test in Long Beach, CA. You will lead a 6–10 person team, oversee spacecraft integration, testing, and verification across programs, and partner with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure successful missions.

The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, systems integration expertise, and the ability to drive process improvements in a fast-paced environment.