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Rocket Lab is seeking a Principal Electric Propulsion Engineer to join the propulsion engineering team in Long Beach, CA. This is a senior technical leadership role within the Space Systems division, which has enabled over 1,700 missions including interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing, and national security initiatives.
In this role, you will own system-level and component-level development of space propulsion and fluidic systems. You will act as technical lead guiding teams through end-to-end development, from conceptual design through production and acceptance testing. Key responsibilities include:
- Develop new or existing propulsion products and systems with full technical ownership
- Perform conceptual and detailed performance calculations, systems modeling, analysis, and design
- Gather, define, and manage technical requirements
- Lead systems engineering activities and provide technical direction to team members
- Plan and execute comprehensive testing programs, including instrumentation and data analysis
- Communicate with internal and external stakeholders on technical progress and decisions
- Make risk-based technical decisions to identify optimal solutions
- Manage project schedules, prioritize work, task engineers and technicians, and report status to leadership
- Mentor and coach team members on technical and professional development
- Establish and maintain standards of excellence through documentation, training, and peer review
- Contribute to engineering process development and documentation across Rocket Lab
You will bring 12+ years of propulsion system development experience or equivalent high-performance engineering background. Required qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or related engineering discipline; expertise in propulsion system modeling and transient analysis using tools like Amesim, EcosimPro, Simulink, or Simscape; hands-on experience with the complete development lifecycle; strong systems engineering fundamentals; and demonstrated experience with electric propulsion systems. U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance are required due to program requirements.
Desirable qualifications include passion for engineering with curiosity and learning mindset, comfort with ambiguity, proficiency with Jama requirements management, Python for data analysis, and mechanical design experience in NX or equivalent CAD software.
