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Salary: USD 115,000 - 155,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Ground Software Engineer I to serve as a technical authority for spacecraft ground software across Space Systems missions. Based in Littleton, CO, you will help define and evolve the end-to-end architecture of ground systems, ensuring scalability, reliability, and mission success for both internal teams and external customers. This role is highly visible, with deliverables supporting internal leadership, the board of directors, and investors.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own major parts of architecture and evolve Rocket Lab's web-based ground software platforms for spacecraft operations
- Partner with flight software developers, mission operations personnel, and systems engineers to translate mission needs into scalable ground system designs
- Deploy, configure, and optimize the Rocket Lab Ground Data System for diverse mission profiles
- Establish robust monitoring, alerting, and reliability frameworks to proactively detect and mitigate issues
- Provide technical direction and architectural guidance to ensure mission resilience, system integration, and long-term maintainability
- Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on ground software strategy, risk areas, and emerging technologies
Rocket Lab's Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration and in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or other technical discipline
- 5+ years of relevant work experience in professional software development
- Proven track record architecting web-based software systems at scale
- Strong systems-level thinking, with ability to balance technical trade-offs across performance, security, and maintainability
- U.S. citizenship required due to program requirements (ITAR compliance)
NICE-TO-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Full-stack development experience: Python, Golang, Rust (backend); Typescript and Angular (frontend); InfluxDB, PostgreSQL (database)
- Experience with end-to-end testing frameworks like Playwright
- Aerospace background supporting satellite, spacecraft, constellation, or launch vehicle ground/mission operations
- Experience designing with Python web frameworks (FastAPI or equivalent)
- Deep knowledge of microservice architectures and distributed systems
- Demonstrated leadership in end-to-end system design and delivery with engineering teams
- Ability to produce clear, well-structured, and well-documented software designs
- Familiarity with database architecture, schema design, and optimization
- Expertise in Git-based workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and Kubernetes orchestration
- Understanding of modern authentication/authorization frameworks (OAuth, etc.)
- Knowledge of CCSDS standards, including Space Packet Protocol, COP-1, and CFD
