Senior Systems Engineer I - Spacecraft Design

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 I – SPACECRAFT DESIGN

Lead Rocket Lab’s satellite mechanical engineering formulation supporting business development and new opportunity capture
Develop high performance and lightweight satellite bus configurations, structures, and mechanisms for our customers
Develop concepts and satellite configurations for high value science and interplanetary missions
Define what mechanisms and deployment systems look like on a modern satellite system/bus
Develop and maintain:
Mass and mechanical technical budgets for vehicle performance
Mechanical system requirements and verification techniques
Structural, mechanism, and packaging analyses across vehicle functions, including hand-calcs and FEA
Test methods and data analysis (structural, thermal, vibe)
Lead and own the mechanical technical development of spacecraft missions from conceptual design through production, test, and operation
Create and maintain product definition through CAD, production drawings, and test and operations procedures
Assist with program and product management, including development schedules, vendors, and budgets
Develop, in collaboration with team members, mechanical interface specifications, CONOPS definition, and other design documents

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering; or other technical discipline
5+ years of engineering experience in the aerospace industry
Experience supporting satellite and/or spacecraft development programs
Experience with CAD modeling and drawing
US citizenship is required, due to program requirements
Active security clearance
Master’s or PhD in mechanical or aerospace engineering; or other technical engineering discipline
Spacecraft/satellite design experience
Rapid conceptual design iteration experience
Experience developing satellite deployment systems and mechanisms
Exceptional mechanical mechanism problem-solving skills
Ability to perform hand-calcs and FEA to drive design decisions
Ability to apply GD&T to component designs
Hands-on development and testing experience
Experience with analysis and interpretation of test data (thermal, vibe)
Understanding of key spacecraft subsystems and their interfaces, including attitude determination and control (ADCS), electrical power systems (EPS), space-ground communications, on-orbit command and data handling (C&DH), and thermal control
Thorough understanding of the space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics
Experience with requirement management tools such as JAMA or DOORS
General spacecraft systems engineering knowledge, and experience with requirements assessments and interface control document generation
Ability to take a product from concept through to production with little supervision
Highly self-motivated and able to work autonomously
Highly effective and professional verbal and written communication skills with team and internal/external customers
Ability to work in a dynamic environment with competing priorities

Citizenship of AU / NZ / EU / NATO