Spacecraft Integration & Test Manager

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

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Employee stock purchase program

Medical plans

Dental and vision

Paid vacation and sick time

401(k) with company match

EV charging subsidy

Onsite fitness centers

Merchandise discount

Job summary

Rocket Lab USA in Long Beach, CA seeks a Manager, Spacecraft Integration & Test to lead a sub-team across spacecraft programs, guiding testing from design to on-orbit commissioning. You will mentor engineers, communicate strategic plans, and work with multiple teams to ensure robust hardware delivery.

The ideal candidate has a strong integration & test background, prior team leadership, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced aerospace 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.
• US citizenship is required, with ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Execute functional management duties, including 1-on-1s, performance reviews, and career development guidance for direct reports.
• Hire, mentor, and guide test engineering teams and represent the I&T department during milestones and flight readiness reviews.
• Drive standardized test specifications, documentation templates, and optimized integration workflows.
• Own the spacecraft integration and test lifecycle from design through launch site operations and on-orbit commissioning.
• Collaborate with Design, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to trace requirements and ensure testability.
• Oversee test procedures, V&V plans, and automated test scripts for functional and performance testing.
• Lead mechanical integration and electrical verification across core subsystems (avionics, propulsion, power, thermal, RF).
• Direct root-cause analysis of anomalies and document non-conformances to inform hardware iterations.
• Manage system-level environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vibration, shock, acoustics, EMI/EMC).

Skills

Team leadership

Systems test engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Python

C++

MATLAB

Linux

Job description

Rocket Lab USA in Long Beach, CA seeks a Manager, Spacecraft Integration & Test to lead a sub-team across spacecraft programs, guiding testing from design to on-orbit commissioning. You will mentor engineers, communicate strategic plans, and work with multiple teams to ensure robust hardware delivery.

The ideal candidate has a strong integration & test background, prior team leadership, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced aerospace environment.