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Salary: USD 132,000 - 270,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Combustion Devices Engineer II or Principal Combustion Devices Engineer to join the Neutron rocket development program. Neutron is a medium-lift reusable launch vehicle designed to deliver mega constellations, enable interplanetary payloads, and support human spaceflight. The Archimedes engine powering Neutron is a 200,000 lbf engine operating in an ox-rich, staged combustion architecture.
In this role, you will take full ownership of combustion device development across the complete lifecycle: design and analysis, manufacturing and test support, and successful flights with high-cadence re-flights. You will work on critical components including preburners, main injectors, thrust chamber assemblies, and vacuum nozzles.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design, analyze, and perform trade studies to achieve programmatic targets
- Define requirements, test plans, and flight qualification plans
- Collaborate with turbomachinery and engine systems teams to create high-performance products that iterate rapidly
- Partner with manufacturing and build engineers to design cost-effective, manufacturable components
- Work with test and launch teams to interpret data and enable high-cadence testing, flights, and re-flights
You will be part of a fast-paced, mission-driven team focused on expanding human capabilities in space. Rocket Lab is publicly traded and has a proven track record with Electron, the third most-launched rocket worldwide in 2024.
REQUIREMENTS:
For Senior Combustion Devices Engineer II:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline or equivalent
- 8+ years of combustion device design experience
- In-depth knowledge of combustion and fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and structural mechanics
- Fundamental understanding of design principles and manufacturing methods
For Principal Combustion Devices Engineer:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering discipline or equivalent
- 12+ years of combustion device design experience
- In-depth knowledge of combustion and fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and structural mechanics
- Fundamental understanding of design principles and manufacturing methods
Nice-to-have qualifications:
- Master's degree or PhD
- Advanced proficiency in NX, ANSYS Mechanical, StarCCM, MATLAB, and GD&T
- Proficiency in specialized software: TDK, ROCCID, PERCORP, CEA, ROCETS
- Reacting flow CFD experience
- Expertise in high-speed data/video analysis in time and frequency domains
- Experience designing reusable, propulsively landing rocket engines
- Experience in iterative, scrappy development environments
Note: This position requires ITAR compliance. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Commerce.
