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Rocket Lab is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer (Level I or II) to join the Space Structures Complex production facility in Middle River, Maryland. This role is central to the development and production of the Neutron Launch Vehicle, a medium-lift reusable launch platform designed for mega constellations, high-assurance payloads, and human spaceflight.
You will own the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing technologies and processes for Neutron's structure. Key responsibilities include planning and executing the build and integration of flight hardware; designing and building ground support tooling and processes for component handling, large assemblies, and integrated modules; and developing build methods that increase throughput, reduce errors, and simplify operations.
You'll collaborate closely with integration engineers to develop and refine inspection, repair, assembly, and system test procedures. You'll collect feedback during builds, document lessons learned, and translate them into actionable improvements for design and manufacturing teams. You'll create clear work instructions to bridge engineering and technician communication, manage non-conformances, and maintain integrated planning documents covering launch vehicle configurations and work scope.
Additionally, you'll design and develop tools and hardware to enable vehicle processing and testing, build and maintain Neutron processing facilities, and manage multiple priorities while keeping focus on project goals.
For Manufacturing Engineer I: Bachelor's degree in industrial, mechanical, or aerospace engineering (or related field) required. Experience building and testing hardware for space launch vehicles or aerospace/defense systems (internships and school projects qualify). Demonstrated 3D CAD modeling, print production, and large-assembly work.
For Manufacturing Engineer II: Same educational requirement plus 2+ years of hands-on experience with space launch vehicle or aerospace/defense hardware build and test.
Nice-to-have skills include multidisciplinary systems interface (mechanical, electrical, fluid), comprehensive work instruction and test procedure development, direct launch vehicle hardware experience (avionics, high-pressure gas, structures, electrical, mechanical), complex assembly build/test at system and subsystem levels, and project management in fast-paced environments.
