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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to lead avionics and test operations for rocket and spacecraft production. This role bridges design and manufacturing, focusing on hands-on debugging of electro-mechanical and avionics systems, optimizing production processes, and ensuring manufacturability at scale.
Key responsibilities include preparing feasibility studies and conducting manufacturing R&D projects; partnering with design engineering teams to incorporate Design for Manufacture principles; engineering and delivering factory systems including assembly, test, and verification processes; supporting development builds to accelerate production ramp-up; taking engineering ownership of production lines to improve yield and efficiency; triaging and diagnosing failures with deep technical investigation; collaborating cross-functionally to resolve complex issues; driving process improvements; and managing change control and risk assessment.
You'll bring a bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or similar discipline, plus 5+ years of technical experience in manufacturing, production, or process engineering. Required skills include hands-on problem-solving in complex manufacturing systems, ability to manage multiple complex assignments autonomously, capability to coach and mentor others, detailed technical knowledge of manufacturing processes, hands-on debugging of electro-mechanical systems, and significant data acquisition and analysis experience.
Desirable qualifications include experience with environmental acceptance and production acceptance testing (vibration, shock, thermal, vacuum); instrumentation and sensor knowledge (power supplies, oscilloscopes, accelerometers, thermocouples, RTDs); production line design and implementation; product transition from design to production in fast-paced environments; and familiarity with DFMEA, PFMEA, Fault Tree Analysis, and root cause methodologies.
The role involves occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas. Compensation includes competitive base pay plus company stock as part of the total package.
