Job brief: Senior Quality Engineer I

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: $81,100 to $142,700 a year
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Chantilly, VA · Geost East Region/Chantilly
• Posted: 2026-10-08

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

Level: Senior. The title says "Senior".

Must have

• Building on more than 20 years of electro-optical and infrared systems innovation from Geost, Rocket Lab Optical Systems delivers solutions to the warfighter for responsive, scala…
• Participate in internal, customer, and third-party quality audits as required
• Travel as required to support test campaigns, supplier activities, audits, source inspections, and program milestones
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related discipline
• 5+ years of experience in Quality Engineering or Quality Assurance within a manufacturing environment
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance

Main duties

• Develop and execute inspection methods to verify product quality and workmanship
• Ensure products comply with internal procedures, customer requirements, and industry standards such as AS9100
• Coordinate and document calibration activities and maintain metrology controls
• Support and maintain compliance with ESD and FOD programs across production and integration areas
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to monitor quality metrics, nonconformance trends, corrective action effectiveness, and process performance

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 Virginia: $118k a year (80 listings, 26 employers). This listing is 5% lower.
• 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. Which of the listed places is this role based in?
2. What are the interview steps, and when should I expect to hear back?

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