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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer II to lead mechanical formulation of new satellite systems and spacecraft. Based in Long Beach, CA, you will drive the mechanical engineering strategy for business development and new opportunity capture across civil, national security, and commercial missions.
You will own the end-to-end mechanical engineering process for satellite platforms, including structures, mechanisms, and bus configurations. Key responsibilities include developing high-performance, lightweight satellite architectures; defining deployment systems and mechanisms for modern satellite platforms; and creating concepts for science and interplanetary missions. You will develop and maintain mass and mechanical technical budgets, define mechanical system requirements, perform structural and mechanism analyses (hand calculations and FEA), and lead test planning and execution across thermal, vibration, and structural domains.
Your work will span from conceptual design through production, test, and operations. You will create product definitions via CAD, production drawings, and test procedures; develop mechanical interface specifications and CONOPS documentation; and collaborate with program management on schedules, vendors, and budgets. You will support the VP of Business Development and broader Space Systems organization with deliverables for internal leadership, board of directors, and investors.
Rocket Lab's Space Systems team has enabled over 1,700 missions, including work with NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force on lunar, Martian, and national security initiatives. The role requires US citizenship due to program requirements.
