ABOUT ROCKET LAB
Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Electron's high launch cadence means great design work doesn't sit on a shelf. It flies. The Electron Vehicle Development team performs the mechanical hardware design and development of Electron and its related payload and mission objectives. This multidisciplinary team brings together design, test and development, structural analysis (static and dynamic), configuration control and project engineering. The team works closely with engineering and production teams across Rocket Lab to bring new concepts to life and to solve production issues through design and process improvement.
Based in our Auckland Production Complex, the Senior Designer - Vehicle Design will strongly influence the design of Electron's primary and secondary structures, mechanisms, and fluids components and systems. You'll make design changes that improve performance, reduce risk and lower manufacturing cost, develop mission-specific configurations for customer payloads, and resolve quality issues from the production floor. Few roles anywhere offer this level of end-to-end hardware development, or the chance to see your designs reach space so often.
This is a senior role with real influence. You'll lead design projects without supervision, set the direction for significant development projects, and help define the standard of design excellence for the team. You'll also mentor less experienced engineers and be trusted to step in as deputy for the team lead when needed.
WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:
- Make design changes to the Electron vehicle and associated hardware to improve performance, reduce risk or reduce manufacturing cost.
- Design primary and secondary structures, mechanisms, and fluids components and systems.
- Define design requirements, and design prototype parts and tooling as required.
- Develop mission-specific configurations for customer payloads.
- Address quality issues that arise on the production floor through design and process improvements.
- Contribute to design documentation, including FMEAs, P&IDs and ICDs.
- Lead design projects without supervision, building strong stakeholder buy-in and collaboration across the company.
- Set the design direction for significant development projects and coordinate them.
- Maintain design data for the components and systems you're responsible for.
- Improve design processes and help develop our key design tools, particularly NX CAD and Teamcenter, to cut non-value-added effort from the design and engineering process.
- Mentor less experienced members of the team and role model high standards of design methodology and documentation.
- Get hands-on with general design, construction and assembly tasks. No task is beneath us.
YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
- A Bachelor's degree with honours in Aerospace, Mechanical or Mechatronics Engineering.
- 5+ years' engineering experience.
- Significant experience modelling in 3D CAD software, ideally NX CAD, and an associated PLM solution such as Teamcenter.
- A creative, analytical approach and strong problem-solving skills.
- The ability to work on your own initiative and plan your own workflow to deliver higher-level goals.
- Clear communication skills, with the ability to steer technical discussions and decisions.
- The ability to stay calm under pressure.
- The flexibility to adapt as business priorities change.
- A positive, "How can I help?" attitude and a drive to keep raising the standard of excellence.
THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:
- Experience with pressurised mechanical systems.
- Experience with mechanical moving assemblies.
- Experience with composite structures.
- Experience with cryogenic systems, including oxygen service systems.
- Experience leading design projects or mentoring other engineers.
- Experience designing for manufacture in a production environment.
- Experience with GD&T and design documentation such as FMEAs, P&IDs and ICDs.
- Experience in aerospace, launch vehicles or similarly complex, high-performance hardware.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Domestic and international travel may be required.
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.
Important information:
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.
Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at [email protected] dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:
For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree with honours in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Mechatronics Engineering
- 5+ years of engineering experience
- Significant experience modeling in 3D CAD software, ideally NX CAD
- Experience with an associated PLM solution such as Teamcenter
- Creative, analytical approach and strong problem-solving skills
- Ability to work independently and plan workflow to deliver higher-level goals
- Clear communication skills and ability to steer technical discussions and decisions
- Ability to stay calm under pressure
- Flexibility to adapt as business priorities change
- Positive attitude and commitment to high standards of excellence
- Experience with pressurized mechanical systems
- Experience with mechanical moving assemblies
- Experience with composite structures
- Experience with cryogenic systems, including oxygen service systems
- Experience leading design projects or mentoring engineers
- Experience designing for manufacture in a production environment
- Experience with GD&T and FMEAs, P&IDs, and ICDs
- Experience in aerospace, launch vehicles, or similarly complex high-performance hardware
Rocket Lab Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Rocket Lab and has not been reviewed or approved by Rocket Lab.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as robust, with multiple HMO/PPO options and a 100% company‑sponsored HSA plan alongside dental and vision. Company materials and postings also note life and disability insurance and an overall strong medical offering for U.S. roles.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity participation is emphasized through RSUs and a discounted ESPP with a look‑back feature, positioned as a meaningful part of total rewards. Filings and benefits summaries highlight broad accessibility to ownership programs across many roles.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is outlined as a full suite that includes paid vacation, sick time, paid holidays, and paid parental leave. Some locations also feature supportive extras such as a childcare concierge and onsite amenities.
Rocket Lab Insights
What We Do
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, spacecraft components, satellites and other spacecraft and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle and the Photon satellite platform and is developing the Neutron 8-ton payload class launch vehicle. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 100+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a second launch site in Virginia, USA which is expected to become operational in late 2022. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.
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