Senior Vehicle Design Engineer

Job description

Senior Vehicle Design Engineer – Electron
Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access to space.
The rockets and satellites we build and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations.
Our Electron rocket has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, all while we work to develop Neutron, our upcoming medium-lift, reusable launch vehicle for larger constellation deployment.
Our Space Systems business designs and builds our extensive line of satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft that have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and components used on the James Webb Space Telescope.
Vehicle Development – Electron
Shape the future of space exploration and see your designs soar into orbit.
Collaborate with a team of experts in mechanical design, development, testing, analysis, configuration control, and project engineering.
Dive deep into the intricacies of spacecraft design, ensuring every component meets the highest standards of performance and reliability.
What You'll Do
Innovate and improve spaceflight hardware.
Execute design changes across the Electron vehicle and associated systems with a focus on performance optimisation, manufacturing efficiency, and risk reduction.
Enhance design workflows.
Continuously improve internal design processes to reduce engineering cycle times and support right-first-time production outcomes.
Solve real-world problems.
Actively engage with the production floor to troubleshoot quality issues, implementing meaningful engineering solutions to ensure 100% mission success.
Support the mission.
Develop mission-specific configurations to support a wide variety of customer payloads – ensuring Electron is ready for any launch profile.
Shape product direction.
Define detailed design requirements, then turn those requirements into high-functioning, manufacturable hardware.
Prototype and iterate.
Rapidly design, test, and refine prototype components and tooling to support new systems, payload configurations, and mission-specific hardware.
Document with precision.
Create and maintain engineering documentation including FMEA, P&IDs, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and technical reports that support safe and reliable launch operations.
Where You'll Thrive
Love designing for real-world launch hardware – and seeing your work head to orbit.
Take pride in leading with mentorship – developing people while developing solutions.
Understand that great engineering is collaborative – you'll be working shoulder-to-shoulder with teams across the company.
See systems, not just parts – and find better ways to build, iterate, and integrate.
Qualifications & Skills
Strong CAD and PLM experience (NX CAD & Teamcenter preferred).
5+ years engineering experience, ideally with launch vehicles, high-performance systems, or complex mechanical assemblies.
A bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Mechatronics Engineering.
Experience in one or more of: cryogenics, composites, mechanical assemblies, or pressurized systems (a plus).
Proven ability to lead projects, mentor engineers, and deliver under pressure.
Ability to collaborate effectively and investigate details to assess the impact of subsystems.
Apply Now
Apply now to become a Senior Vehicle Design Engineer at Rocket Lab and help us push the boundaries of what's possible in space.
Eligibility and Equal Opportunity
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident, or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations.
Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Disability Accommodations
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at ******.
New Zealand Eligibility
For security reasons background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers.
Eligibility requires holding citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union or a NATO-member country, or an equivalent status.
Additional Information
Rocket Lab is required to comply with U.S. export compliance laws & regulations including the International Traffic In Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
These regulations restrict whom Rocket Lab can share materials with and who may receive those materials.
Completion of the application may require additional disclosures about citizenship, passports, and visas.
Device / Browser Requirements
Applicants can apply using a PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, or RTF file.
Job Location
Applicants may be asked to confirm their legal right to work in the relevant location.
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