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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Components Engineer II to join the propulsion engineering team in Long Beach, CA. This role offers system-level and component-level ownership of space systems propulsion and fluidic development, supporting civil, commercial, and defense customers.
Key responsibilities include owning development of new or existing propulsion products and systems, acting as technical lead to guide teams through end-to-end development. You will perform conceptual and detailed CAD designs for propulsion system components, conduct performance calculations and analysis, and review/approve drawings, 3D PMI, reports, and specifications from team members. Test planning, setup, instrumentation, execution, and data analysis are core activities. You will communicate with internal and external stakeholders, make technical risk-based decisions on engineering challenges, and manage project schedules and priorities.
The role includes mentorship and coaching of team members on technical and professional development, defining and maintaining standards of excellence through documentation, training, and review of others' work. You will contribute to engineering process development and documentation related to your areas of expertise.
Required qualifications: 8+ years in propulsion system development or equivalent high-performance field; Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or related engineering discipline; detailed mechanical design experience with NX or equivalent CAD software and PLM systems (Teamcenter, Windchill); track record of design reviews and flight hardware release approvals; end-to-end development process experience from requirements through acceptance testing; excellent communication and teamwork skills; hands-on integration and testing experience; experience with storable propellants (electrical and chemical); US citizenship and willingness to obtain security clearance.
Desirable qualifications include passion for engineering, curiosity and learning mindset, comfort with ambiguity, ability to identify and schedule technical goals, and experience developing requirements/verification sets and writing test plans and reports.
