Senior Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Engineer I - Secret Clearance

The role

You will own system-level and component-level development for space systems propulsion and fluidic systems. You will act as a technical lead through the end-to-end development process, including modeling, analysis, and testing.

What you will do

• Own development of new or existing products or systems as technical lead
• Perform conceptual and detailed performance calculations, systems modelling, analysis, and system designs
• Gather, define, and manage requirements
• Perform systems engineering activities and leadership
• Plan, set up, execute, and analyze test instrumentation and data
• Communicate with internal and external project stakeholders
• Make technical risk-based decisions
• Manage projects including schedule building, tasking engineers, and status communication
• Mentor and coach team members on technical and professional development
• Maintain team standards through documentation, training, and review

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (aerospace, mechanical, mechatronics, or other technical discipline)
• 5+ years of experience in propulsion system development, or other high-performance field
• Active Secret clearance with TS/SCI eligibility
• US citizenship is required
• Expertise in propulsion system modelling, static and transient analysis, and model validation using test data software such as Amesim, EcosimPro, Simulink, or Simscape
• Experience with end-to-end development process, including gathering requirements, detailed design, qualification, production, and acceptance testing
• Experience with all steps in the Systems Engineering V and risk-based decision making
• Experience working on propulsion systems utilizing different storable propellants, such as electrical and chemical

Nice to have

• A genuine passion for engineering, curious mindset, and willingness to learn
• Demonstrated hands-on engineering skills, inside or outside the workplace
• Comfortable working with high levels of ambiguity
• Ability to make decisions using basic engineering principles, available literature and standards, technical risk assessments, test data, and physics-based models
• Practice in identifying the necessary steps to achieve high level technical goals, scheduling them in a plan, and managing delivery against that plan
• Experience with Jama
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well within a team environment
• Capabilities using Python for data manipulation and post-processing
• Detailed mechanical design experience using NX (preferred) or equivalent industry standard CAD software
• Experience using Product Lifecycle Management software such as Teamcenter (preferred), Windchill, or similar

Benefits

• Company stock
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (15% discount)
• Medical plans (HMO, PPO, and zero cost HDHP)
• Significant HSA company contribution
• Dental and vision coverage
• Paid vacation and sick time
• 11 paid holidays
• Flexible spending and dependent care accounts
• Paid parental leave
• Disability and life insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Subsidized EV charging

Before you apply

• US citizenship is required
• Must have active Secret clearance with TS/SCI eligibility

About the company

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. The Space Systems team builds spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars.