SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Rocket Lab is seeking a Team Lead for Electron Vehicle Development to lead a team of Vehicle Development Engineers responsible for structures, mechanisms, and fluids systems across the Electron rocket platform.
In this hands-on leadership role, you will own day-to-day delivery of vehicle engineering projects, act as subject matter expert and quality approver for all engineering changes within the team, and contribute to design reviews ensuring workflows and products meet internal and external standards. You will drive right-first-time GD&T and lean project management approaches.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading delivery of vehicle engineering projects across structures, mechanisms, and fluids systems
- Analyzing and resolving manufacturing discrepancies and non-conformances
- Driving down quality defects and time lost to design-related issues
- Assessing risk, implementing mitigations, and verifying effectiveness for future vehicles
- Making risk/reward trade-offs using engineering, program, and production input
- Leading cross-functional risk reduction, cost-saving, and performance improvement projects
- Prioritizing competing development projects to deliver business and departmental objectives
- Acting as interface between Program Management and Production for vehicle configuration requirements
- Building and refining the team's strategic plan aligned with management and business goals
- Leading, motivating, and developing team members including performance management
- Coaching engineers on technical best practice, lean project management, and ROI delivery
- Identifying and removing single points of failure through cross-training and developing deputies
- Providing clear visibility of status, blockers, and decisions needed to move forward
- Acting as deputy to the Electron Engineering Manager as needed
You will work in a fast-paced environment building real hardware for meaningful space missions, with an ownership mentality, ability to thrive under pressure and tight deadlines, and a collaborative "how can I help" mindset.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Core Requirements:
- Degree in aerospace, mechanical, or mechatronic engineering, or equivalent qualification
- 5+ years developing, testing, or analyzing mechanical systems
- Strong technical ability in at least one domain of mechanical engineering: materials, structures, mechanisms, or fluids and pneumatics systems
- Strong understanding of signal acquisition and measurement, including error and accuracy
- Sound analytical skills and systems-level thinking ability
- Good hands-on engineering skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication with ability to clearly convey understanding
- Proven ability to deliver results as a strong leader
Bonus Qualifications:
- Experience leading and developing a team of engineers
- Experience as quality approver or SME for engineering change
- Strong GD&T knowledge and track record of right-first-time design
- Experience resolving non-conformances in production environments
- Experience leading cost-saving initiatives with measurable return
- Experience building strategic plans and presenting metrics that steer business decisions
- Track record of driving cross-functional projects and resolving conflict through influence and communication
Note: For New Zealand positions, background checks including nationality checks will be conducted. You must be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by ITAR. You may be ineligible if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or NATO member countries, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship.
