Senior Program Manager I/II - Advanced RF Systems (TS/SCI)

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.

SPACE SYSTEMS

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 and precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, including solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more. Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration and 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 Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.

SENIOR TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER, ADVANCED RF SYSTEMS (TS/SCI)

Based at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you are the program authority for our next-generation RF systems and payloads. You own the technical roadmap and strategic program decisions from the first “blank sheet” prototype, through flight qualification, and into high-rate production. This is a high-ownership role: you'll immerse yourself in the operational realities of National Security, civil, and commercial pioneers to turn their hardest problems into concrete technical milestones, and you'll be the person the program runs on.

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
• 5+ years of program management experience
• A demonstrated track record of owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and carrying it across the finish line under real pressure — we hire on what you've shipped, not years logged
• Evidence you've moved real hardware and software from prototype toward scalable, flight-ready production
• Understanding of the nuances of transponders, SAR, or advanced communication systems
• Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission
• Active TS/SCI clearance

These Qualifications Would Be Nice To Have:

• Production Velocity: A proven playbook for transitioning low-volume prototypes into high-rate production without sacrificing mission reliability
• Domain Authority: Deep experience navigating National Security Space (NSS) or massive commercial telecommunications constellation architectures
• Capture & Customer: Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government or major commercial contracts
• Advanced Technical Credibility: A Master's degree in Engineering or a related field that lets you peer-review technical roadmaps
• Systems & Toolchain Fluency: You speak Systems Engineering, trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity and use Jira, Confluence, and ERP to keep program health visible at speed
• Depth of Reps: Multiple program cycles or 8+ years in aerospace/defense sharpen the edge, but we weight the hardest thing you've shipped over the count.

What You’ll Get To Do

• Command the Lifecycle: Build and lead the team that takes RF payloads, transponders, SAR, and communications systems from a “blank sheet” concept through qualification, high-rate production, and flight, and own the technical roadmap that grows the team's core capabilities.
• Lead the Team of Teams: Run multiple active programs at once, make sound architectural calls with Chief Engineers, navigate the hardest trade-offs in phased arrays, digital signal processing, and high-rate manufacturing, and personally dive into the most program-threatening problems alongside the team.
• Build the Bench: Grow a culture where strong people take smart, healthy risks and the best idea wins, no matter who it comes from, we back bold calls and treat an intelligent miss as the cost of moving fast and coach and develop the next generation of program and team leaders.
• Forging the Supply Chain: Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners essential to the mission, protecting schedule and margin.
• Influence the Future: Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned National Security, civil, and commercial customers, and partner with BD & Strategy on proposals and technical narratives that define the next generation of RF systems and payloads.

Qualifications

• As a Senior Technical Program Manager I:
• Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
• 5+ years of program management experience
• A demonstrated track record of owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and carrying it across the finish line under real pressure — we hire on what you've shipped, not years logged
• Evidence you've moved real hardware and software from prototype toward scalable, flight-ready production
• Understanding of the nuances of transponders, SAR, or advanced communication systems
• Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission
• Active TS/SCI clearance

• As a Senior Technical Program Manager II:
• Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
• 8+ years of program management experience
• A demonstrated track record of owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and carrying it across the finish line under real pressure — we hire on what you've shipped, not years logged
• Evidence you've moved real hardware and software from prototype toward scalable, flight-ready production
• Understanding of the nuances of transponders, SAR, or advanced communication systems
• Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission
• Active TS/SCI clearance

What To Expect

We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.