SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 132,000 - 198,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer II to lead turbopump assembly development for the Archimedes engine at their Long Beach headquarters. This role sits within the manufacturing engineering and production organization, supporting the Director of Manufacturing Engineering with deliverables for internal leadership, the board, and investors.
You will mentor and coach team members on technical and professional development, defining and maintaining standards of excellence through documentation, training, and review of others' work. Key responsibilities include contributing to engineering process development and documentation, acting as an expert in design reviews (design for manufacture, design for machining, productivity, quality control), and designing/developing tooling and equipment to improve quality, delivery, and cost performance.
You will lead continuous improvement and cost reduction initiatives, collaborate with propulsion assembly technicians, and perform value stream mapping exercises, method of manufacture planning, and cell design. You will implement factory layouts, equipment selection, FAT/SAT, and production commissioning. Process development and documentation—including testing procedures, health and safety requirements, and supervisor signoffs—are core to the role.
You will interface with the quality team to resolve manufacturing engineering quality responsibilities and, when required, lead problem containment and structured root cause and corrective action investigations. You will drive continuous improvement using lean tools and techniques such as 5S.
Rocket Lab builds rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for global connectivity, protection, and space exploration. The engineering team spans design, analysis, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, assembly, integration, quality control, and documentation.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing engineering, or similar engineering discipline
- 8+ years of experience in a heavy development manufacturing environment
- Understanding of fluid and structural mechanics fundamentals
- Knowledge in manufacturing processes for aerospace materials
NICE TO HAVE:
- Advanced engineering degree
- Experience with design, testing, and development of turbopumps or similar turbomachinery
- Experience contributing to and steering design reviews with technical expertise in design for manufacture, test, and assembly
- Well versed in GD&T and inspection methods
- Working experience with capacity modeling, process mapping, Lean/Six Sigma, and value stream mapping
- Experience with 3D CAD software and tooling design
Note: This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas. ITAR compliance required: must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Commerce.
