Rocket Lab Corporation
Propulsion Components Engineer II
About this role
Rocket Lab seeks a Propulsion Components Engineer II to lead spacecraft propulsion and fluidics development for civil, commercial, and defense space missions. You'll own component and system-level design, testing, and technical decision-making while mentoring junior engineers and driving engineering excellence across the propulsion team.
What you'll do
- Lead end-to-end development of propulsion systems and components, from conceptual design through production
- Perform CAD design and performance analysis for propulsion system components using tools like NX
- Plan and execute tests, including instrumentation setup, data collection, and analysis
- Review and approve engineering drawings, specifications, and work from other team members
- Manage project schedules, prioritize tasks, coordinate team efforts, and communicate status to stakeholders
- Mentor and coach team members on technical and professional development
What they're looking for
- Propulsion systems engineering (chemical or electrical)
- CAD design (NX preferred) and PLM software (Teamcenter or Windchill)
- Mechanical design and component-level analysis
- Test planning, execution, and data analysis
- Technical risk assessment and physics-based modeling
- Project management and technical leadership
- Flight hardware design and release processes
- Cross-functional communication and stakeholder management
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Rocket Lab Corporation
Rocket Lab builds spacecraft and satellites that it launches on its own rockets, developing the avionics, flight software, and ground systems needed to operate these vehicles in orbit. The company is hiring software engineers, test automation specialists, and spacecraft operations engineers to develop embedded flight software, design testing systems, and manage satellite fleet health across commercial and government missions.
View all jobs at Rocket Lab CorporationLikely interview questions
- Describe your experience developing propulsion systems or components—what was your specific technical contribution and what challenges did you overcome?
- Walk us through how you approach design tradeoffs when faced with conflicting requirements (performance, mass, cost, schedule).