Spacecraft Operations Engineer II

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab Corporation in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Spacecraft Operations Engineer II to ensure the health, safety, and performance of a growing satellite fleet. You will support commissioning, orbit raising, and routine operations for both commercial and government customers, collaborating with multiple engineering teams and maintaining robust software-driven operations.

The role emphasizes automation, ground/flight software development, CI/CD, and on-call responsibilities to keep space

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 2+ years in space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, or spacecraft operations.
• Understanding of attitude control, power, comms, OBDH, and thermal control.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Operate and monitor a growing satellite fleet with health and safety at the forefront.
• Develop and test ground software for automated mission operations.
• Design and test flight software sequences for fault management.
• Maintain continuous integration and testing of operational code.
• Roster on-call or shift coverage for spacecraft operations.
• Create interfaces specifications and CONOPS for missions.
• Support AIT and multi-spacecraft tests across subsystems.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Spacecraft operations

Ground systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Cloud infrastructure

Job description

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

SPACE SYSTEMS

At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions

SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS ENGINEER II

Based on site at Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA the Spacecraft Operations Engineer II is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, and optimal performance of a growing fleet of satellites while meeting mission objectives and SLAs for both commercial and government customers. This includes supporting diverse missions such as LEO constellations, interplanetary exploration, LEO rendezvous, and SDA-related deployments. Your expertise would be critical during commissioning, orbit raising, routine operations, and potentially re‑entry phases, ensuring the health and safety of Rocket Lab’s expanding fleet. The Spacecraft Operations team works closely with related teams, such as spacecraft design, AIT, flight software, propulsion, GNC, flight dynamics and ground software development to help improve both the ground and satellite-based capabilities overtime.

The space operations experience at Rocket Lab is unique because you will cover a multitude of roles/positions and responsibilities, with the large majority of the technical products being supplied through the vertical integration/in-house.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

• Leverage automation as a key enabler to operate spacecraft, focusing on software-driven solutions for efficient and reliable mission execution
• Design, develop and test ground software for long term space operations: ground scripting for robust and automated ops
• Design, develop and test flight software sequences and FDIR/telemetry configuration to ensure spacecraft health and fault management through software-driven processes
• Maintain the continuous integration and testing of our operational code
• Ensure the on‑call or shifts of operations
• Develop test methods and data analysis
• Develop interface specifications, CONOPS, and other design documents
• Support AIT teams across multiple spacecraft integrated tests (TVAC, propulsion stack, DITL)
• Perform requirements validation and verification for subsystems and spacecraft missions
• Generate and maintain requirements for spacecraft Missions including the creation and disposition
• Provide program and product support to team leads and program managers and be a key technical interface between the Auckland, NZ and Long Beach, USA engineering teams

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS AS A SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS ENGINEER II:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
• 2+ years of direct experience in any of the following: space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, spacecraft command control or spacecraft operations
• Understanding of key spacecraft subsystems and their associated components, including attitude determination and control, spacecraft electrical power systems, space-ground communications, on-orbit command and data handling, and thermal control
• Understanding of the space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics
• Software development experience (Python/Ruby/C/C++/other high-level languages)
• US citizenship is required due to program requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain US Security clearance

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Master’s or PhD engineering in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
• Prior experience in spacecraft operations
• Prior experience in satellite system designPrior experience in satellite ground systems
• Exposure to modern development practices – GIT, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure
• Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) Testing: Exposure to testing frameworks that simulate software behavior in operational environments
• Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing: Familiarity with testing frameworks that integrate software and hardware systems
• Active TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance

Total Compensation (base and equity)

$104,475 - $147,425 USD

$94,400 - $129,800 USD

WHAT TO EXPECT

We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out‑think, out‑work, and out‑pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Rocket Lab Corporation’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.