Spacecraft Operations Engineer II - Secret Clearance Preferred

Rocket Lab Corporation; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab Corporation in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Spacecraft Operations Engineer II to ensure the health, safety, and optimal performance of a growing satellite fleet while supporting commercial and government missions.

You will be critical during commissioning, orbit raising, routine operations, and potential re-entry phases, coordinating with teams across spacecraft design, flight software, propulsion and ground software to optimize operations.

Job description

Spacecraft Operations Engineer II - Secret Clearance Preferred

Long Beach, CA

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 ofsatellites while meeting mission objectives and SLAs for both commercial and government customers. This includes supporting diverse missions such as LEOconstellations, interplanetary exploration, LEO rendezvous, and SDA-relateddeployments. Your expertise would be critical during commissioning, orbit raising,routine operations, and potentially re-entry phases, ensuring the health and safety ofRocket Lab’s expanding fleet.The Spacecraft Operations team works closely with related teams, such as spacecraftdesign, AIT, flight software, propulsion, GNC, flight dynamics and ground softwaredevelopment 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 G...