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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer II to join its Space Systems team in Long Beach, CA. This role focuses on trajectory design, mission analysis, and flight dynamics support for Earth-orbiting, lunar, and interplanetary spacecraft missions.
You will develop and analyze launch vehicle and spacecraft trajectories including ascent, orbit insertion, and orbital maneuvers. Key responsibilities include performing orbital propagation, rendezvous planning, and station-keeping analysis for spacecraft operations. You'll support mission design activities such as launch window analysis, delta-V budgets, and contingency planning. The role requires interfacing with flight software and guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) teams to validate and optimize guidance profiles.
You will generate trajectory data products and flight dynamics support materials for mission readiness reviews, contribute to development of in-house simulation tools and flight dynamics infrastructure, and support real-time mission operations including anomaly response and post-launch data analysis.
Required qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Space Systems, or Software Engineering (or equivalent). You must have 8+ years of experience in mission design and flight dynamics, with strong understanding of orbital mechanics and orbit determination theory. Proficiency with mission analysis tools (STK, Astrogator, GMAT, Monte, Copernicus, or equivalent) is essential. Python software development experience, Git version control, and Jira project management familiarity are required. An active Secret clearance with ability to obtain TS/SCI is mandatory, and U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements.
Nice-to-have qualifications include a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, active TS/SCI clearance, Monte Carlo simulation experience, orbit determination analysis tools (ODTK, Orekit), team/software project management experience, and ability to work complex problems under time pressure.
