About the Job
At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separati...
Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Develop...
SENIOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER II – RF MISSION SOLUTIONS
Key Responsibilities
Based out of Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior RF Mission Architect who thrives at the front end of the mission lifecycle. We operate on a work fast, bid fast, build fast cadence. We design and manufacture high-performance payload products that serve as the building blocks for next-generation tactical satcom, space-based sensing, and direct-to-cell constellations.
In this role, you hold primary technical ownership over how our core product line evolves to capture new missions. You will balance link budgets, antenna architectures, digital vs analog components, SWaP-C constraints and then some —while authoring those trades into winning technical concepts for defense and commercial customers.
Architect Clean-Sheet Payloads: Run early mission trades, define payload topologies, analog vs digital conversion boundary, waveform processing constraints, or integration of cryptographic requirement for optimal mission profiles.
Drive Technical Capture: Work directly with customers and our leadership team to frame complex RF trade-offs, write the core technical architecture narratives for key proposals, and defend your design choices.
Shape the Hardware Roadmap: Use insights from customer mission needs to directly influence our internal R&D, payload prototyping, and technology investments.
Bridge Concept to Flight: Partner with payload hardware, software, and spacecraft teams to make sure the architectures you pitch are buildable and transition cleanly into flight development.
Required Skills & Abilities
Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other technical discipline
8+ years of experience in aerospace or defense RF systems
Demonstrated track record architecting complex multi-function RF, SAR/radar, or digital communication payloads from concept to proposal win
Eligible to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance
Advanced degree in RF/microwave, electromagnetics, radar, or related field
Experience in antennas, arrays, RF front‑end architectures, TR modules, DSP
Radar techniques (SAR, MTI, STAP), performance modeling
Advanced waveforms, protected tactical standards, spectrum management
Digital payload concepts and RF‑compute convergence
Radiation effects and resilient RF architectures
Zero trust, Post-quantum Cryptography requirements at hardware level
Tools: STK, MATLAB, Python, HFSS, CST
Understanding of spacecraft bus systems and their impact on payloads
RF-centric mission design and integration experience
Visionary and technically rigorous
Comfortable in ambiguity and open‑ended missions
Resilient against “that can’t be done” thinking
Collaborative across BD, engineering, executives, suppliers, and partners
A clear communicator able to explain complex decisions in mission + financial context
Efficient: strong foundations but always seeking faster, smarter ways to execute
Entrepreneurial: eager to pursue bold ideas and see them come to life
Either a seasoned architect ready to influence strategy, or a fast-learning cleared engineer ready to accelerate into mission formulation
Qualifications
Experience:
8 years experience
Work Authorization
Citizenship of AU / NZ / EU / NATO
