Trailblazing Flight Dynamics Engineer I — Secret Clearance

Rocket Lab USA; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted employee stock purchase

EV charging stations

Onsite gym

Food and drinks

Other discounts

Job summary

Rocket Lab USA in Long Beach, CA seeks a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer I with active Secret clearance to design and analyze trajectories for Earth orbiting, lunar, and interplanetary missions.

Join a cross-disciplinary team and contribute to mission design, real-time operations, and development of flight dynamics tools, while earning a competitive CA base salary and comprehensive benefits. Base pay includes equity and a broad benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in mission design, flight dynamics.
• Understanding of orbital mechanics, Orbit determination theory.
• Mission analysis with STK, Astrogator, GMAT, Monte, Copernicus, or equivalent.
• Python software development.
• Git version control, or an equivalent version control system.
• Jira software project management or equivalent.
• Active Secret clearance, with ability to obtain TS/SCI.
• U.S. citizenship is required, due to program requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and analyze launch vehicle and spacecraft trajectories, including ascent, orbit insertion, and orbital maneuvers.
• Perform orbital propagation, rendezvous planning, and station-keeping analysis for spacecraft operations.
• Support mission design including launch window analysis, delta-V budgets, and contingency planning.
• Interface with flight software and GNC teams to validate and optimize guidance profiles.
• Generate and deliver trajectory data products and flight dynamics support for mission readiness reviews.
• Contribute to development of in-house simulation tools and flight dynamics infrastructure.
• Support real-time mission operations including anomaly response and post-launch data analysis.

Skills

Python software development

Git version control

Jira software project management

Active Secret clearance

U.S. citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Space Systems, or Software Engineering, or an equivalent Engineering or Applied Physics degree.

Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Job description

Rocket Lab USA in Long Beach, CA seeks a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer I with active Secret clearance to design and analyze trajectories for Earth orbiting, lunar, and interplanetary missions.

Join a cross-disciplinary team and contribute to mission design, real-time operations, and development of flight dynamics tools, while earning a competitive CA base salary and comprehensive benefits. Base pay includes equity and a broad benefits package.