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Rocket Lab is seeking a Mechanical Engineer II to join the Space Systems team at Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, California. This role focuses on developing mechanical and electromechanical hardware for space robotics, precision mechanisms, tooling, fixtures, and ground support equipment.
You will own hardware development across the full lifecycle: concept development, detailed design, analysis, drawing release, procurement, assembly, integration, environmental testing, qualification, and delivery. Key responsibilities include designing precision mechanisms and motion systems (actuators, gimbals, gear trains, harmonic drives, bearings, motors, rotary sensors, springs, launch locks, and release devices); creating and maintaining product definitions in SolidWorks with 3D models, production drawings, bills of material, and assembly documentation; applying GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, material and process selection, and finite element analysis to inform design decisions; and designing for stiffness, strength, thermal environments, vibration, shock, tolerance control, manufacturability, inspectability, and assembly.
You will collaborate closely with electrical, software, systems, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and test teams to evaluate alternatives and deliver practical, build-ready solutions. You'll support hardware assembly, integration, troubleshooting, inspection, and environmental and qualification testing. You'll coordinate with machine shops and suppliers on fabrication questions and manufacturing approaches, and document technical decisions, design analyses, test results, risks, and verification evidence for program milestones and design reviews.
Rocket Lab builds rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for space missions. The Space Systems team has enabled over 1,700 missions, including interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing, and national security initiatives, working with NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.
