Spacecraft Operations Engineer II: Automation Focus

Rocket Lab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 94,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock purchase program

Medical plans — top-tier

Dental and vision coverage

Paid vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays

401(k) with company match

EV charging subsidy

Onsite fitness centers

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Spacecraft Operations Engineer II, based on site at our Long Beach, CA headquarters. You will ensure the health, safety, and optimal performance of a growing satellite fleet, supporting diverse missions from LEO constellations to interplanetary work, collaborating with design, flight software, propulsion, GNC and ground software teams.

You will contribute to commissioning, orbit raising, routine ops, and fault management while working with diverse teams across locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 2+ years in space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, or spacecraft operations.
• Knowledge of spacecraft subsystems such as attitude determination and control, power systems, comms, and on‑orbit data handling.
• Experience in software development (Python, Ruby, C, C++ or other).
• US citizenship is required; ability to obtain ITAR clearance.

Responsibilities

• Operate spacecraft with software-driven solutions for mission execution.
• Develop and test ground software for long-term space operations.
• Create flight software sequences and telemetry configurations for health and fault management.
• Maintain CI/testing of operational code.
• Be on-call for shifts in operations and support AIT tests.
• Develop interface specs and CONOPS; run validations with simulation tools.
• Coordinate with Auckland, NZ and Long Beach teams on engineering tasks.

Skills

Python

Ruby

C

C++

Software development

GNC

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Cloud infrastructure

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Spacecraft Operations Engineer II, based on site at our Long Beach, CA headquarters. You will ensure the health, safety, and optimal performance of a growing satellite fleet, supporting diverse missions from LEO constellations to interplanetary work, collaborating with design, flight software, propulsion, GNC and ground software teams.

You will contribute to commissioning, orbit raising, routine ops, and fault management while working with diverse teams across locations.