Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer I

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, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like 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, 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 Spacecraft Operations Engineer I

• Leverage automation as a key enabler to operate spacecraft, focusing on software-driven solutions for efficient and reliable mission execution
• Design, develop and test ground software for long term space operations: ground scripting for robust and automated ops
• Design, develop and test flight software sequences and FDIR/telemetry configuration to ensure spacecraft health and fault management through software-driven processes
• Maintain the continuous integration and testing of our operational code
• Develop test methods and data analysis
• Develop interface specifications, CONOPS, and other design documents
• Run validation against spacecraft simulation tools: flatsat, HITL, etc.
• Support AIT teams across multiple spacecraft integrated tests (TVAC, propulsion stack, DITL)
• Perform requirements validation and verification for subsystems and spacecraft missions
• Generate and maintain requirements for spacecraft Missions including the creation and disposition
• Provide program and product support to team leads and program managers and be a key technical interface between the Auckland, NZ, Littleton, CO, and Long Beach, CA USA engineering teams

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
• 5+ years of direct experience in any of the following: space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, spacecraft command control or spacecraft operations
• Understanding of key spacecraft subsystems and their associated components, including attitude determination and control, spacecraft electrical power systems, space-ground communications, on-orbit command and data handling, and thermal control
• Understanding of the space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics
• Software development experience (Python/Ruby/C/C++/other high-level languages)
• U.S. citizenship required due to program requirements

Would Be Nice To Have

• Master’s or PhD engineering in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
• Prior experience in spacecraft operations
• Prior experience in satellite system design
• Prior experience in satellite ground systems
• Exposure to modern development practices – GIT, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure
• Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) Testing: Exposure to testing frameworks that simulate software behavior in operational environments
• Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing: Familiarity with testing frameworks that integrate software and hardware systems

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.