Job brief: Senior Systems Engineer II - Spacecraft Design

What JoRoute checked · Checked by JoRoute

• Listed on Rocket Lab's own job board. JoRoute does not take listings from job ads or recruiters.
• First seen by JoRoute 2026-11-04 (3 days ago); last confirmed on the board 2026-11-07.
• The apply link opens job-boards.greenhouse.io, the address Rocket Lab's board gives for this job.
• No other listing with this title and place on this board in the last 90 days.
• No layoff notices (WARN) under this name in the state files JoRoute reads.

What the listing says · Employer's own words, not checked

• Pay: $132,000 to $198,000 a year
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Long Beach, CA · RL Headquarters
• Posted: 2026-09-02 · over 60 days ago

What the job asks · Employer's own words, not checked

Level: Senior. The title says "Senior".

Must have

• You will support the Vice President of Business Development and Strategy and the broader Space Systems Business Development organization, with deliverables required for internal l…
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering; or other technical discipline
• 8+ years of engineering experience in the aerospace industry
• US citizenship is required, due to program requirements
• Active security clearance
• Master’s or PhD in mechanical or aerospace engineering; or other technical engineering discipline

Main duties

• Lead Rocket Lab’s satellite mechanical engineering formulation supporting business development and new opportunity capture
• Develop high performance and lightweight satellite bus configurations, structures, and mechanisms for our customers
• Develop concepts and satellite configurations for high value science and interplanetary missions
• Test methods and data analysis (structural, thermal, vibe)
• Lead and own the mechanical technical development of spacecraft missions from conceptual design through production, test, and operation

Lines copied from the posting, not rewritten. "Preferred" or "nice to have" items are not listed as must-haves.

How it compares · Compared by JoRoute from listings

• Typical listed pay for engineer jobs in Long Beach, CA: $164k a year (146 listings, 3 employers). This listing pays about the same.
• Across Rocket Lab's 452 open listings, 24% of those with a posting date were first posted more than 60 days ago. How Rocket Lab hires

What nobody outside the employer knows · Not known

• Whether the role is already filled or on hold: employers often leave listings up.
• How many people applied, and who reads the applications.
• Where in the published range an offer would land.

Ask before you apply

1. Is this role still open, and when do you hope to fill it?
2. Which of the listed places is this role based in?
3. What are the interview steps, and when should I expect to hear back?

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