Senior Avionics Test Engineer – RF

About The Role

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access to space. The rockets and satellites we build and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations.

Manufacturing

Rocket Lab’s Manufacturing team are the builders and the doers who work with our advanced machinery across our global manufacturing sites to get our satellites, satellite components, and rockets out the door. They bring the designs of our engineers to life by using advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing to create our hardware and are responsible for delivering our projects and missions on time and on budget to our customers.

Sr. RF Test Engineer

• Contribute to design reviews acting as an expert in design for design for test, productivity, supplier capability assessments, quality control, etc.
• Design and troubleshoot RF (S-Band, X, C bands) test setups and associated support equipment for production operations.
• Develop automated test hardware and test platforms in support of test programs with the intent of delivering to production.
• Manage, conduct and train production team members on Acceptance, Qualification and Proto-Flight test programs.
• Define and implement Factory layouts, Equipment selection, FAT, SAT, and production commissioning.
• Capital and facilities justification, project management and implementation.
• Lead problem containment and structured root cause & corrective action investigations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, aerospace, manufacturing or similar engineering discipline
• 5+ years of experience with hardware development or electronics test engineering
• Python programming experience
• Understanding of electrical test equipment, test procedures, data acquisition systems, and instrumentation
• Extensive experience using fundamentals of electronic circuits, RF design principles, and manufacturing techniques to solve component issues in a fast-paced environment

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced engineering degree (Preferably Electrical or Aerospace)
• 8+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment
• Working experience with environmental acceptance/production acceptance testing, such as vibration, shock, thermal, and vacuum
• Understanding of instrumentation, interfaces, and sensors including power supplies, oscilloscopes, serial devices, switch topologies, accelerometers, thermocouples, RTDs, and 4-20mA sensors
• Experience with LabVIEW, Python, and/or National Instruments hardware
• Experience with designing, implementing, and supporting a production line and/or build area
• Experience transitioning products from design to production as a part of cross-functional team in a fast-paced, iterative design environment
• Demonstrated experience with DFMEA, PFMEA methodologies, Fault Tree Analysis, Pareto analysis, root cause and corrective action