SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Harness Design Engineer to join its Space Systems team in Long Beach, CA. The Space Systems team builds complete spacecraft, precision payloads, and critical subsystems including solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, and radios. The team has enabled over 1,700 missions for interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing, and national security initiatives, partnering with NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.
In this role, you will design, develop, and integrate electrical harnesses for spacecraft. Key responsibilities include defining electrical interfaces, selecting components, specifying split locations and lengths, and generating comprehensive design documentation. You will collaborate closely with systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and assembly, integration, and test (AIT) teams to ensure seamless harness integration into spacecraft.
Specific duties encompass designing electrical harness systems including connector and backshell selection, wire selection, shielding, and routing; generating wiring diagrams, pinout tables, and interface definitions; interpreting system architecture with systems engineering; creating and maintaining Bills of Materials in PLM tools; developing fabrication drawings using Capital Essentials, NX, and Teamcenter; supporting fabrication processes to ensure compliance with space-grade standards; defining and verifying harness acceptance criteria including electrical testing; performing electrical design and analysis for performance, reliability, and manufacturability; supporting electrical system schematics; participating in design reviews; and troubleshooting electrical issues during fabrication, integration, and testing.
You will bring a Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or related engineering discipline, plus 5+ years of electrical engineering or avionics experience. An active Secret Clearance with ability to obtain TS/SCI is required. Preferred qualifications include a Master's or PhD in engineering, aerospace/defense industry experience, satellite development and operations background, proficiency in electrical engineering principles (power distribution, signal integrity, grounding, communication systems like RS-422, SPI, Ethernet, CAN bus), and experience with harness design tools.
