Job brief: Senior Spacecraft Mechanical 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 (2 days ago); last confirmed on the board 2026-11-06.
• 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: $124,000 to $186,000 a year
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Long Beach, CA · RL Headquarters
• Posted: 2026-10-28

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

Level: Senior. The title says "Senior".

Must have

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering; or other engineering discipline
• 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience
• U.S. citizenship is required, due to program requirements
• Master’s or PhD in aerospace or mechanical engineering; or other engineering discipline
• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering
• Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S.

Main duties

• Support the Business Development team with proposals and mission concepts
• Develop high performance and lightweight satellite systems, mechanisms, and satellite bus configurations for our customers
• Develop concepts and satellite configurations for high value science and interplanetary missions
• Own component designs from conceptual design through production, test, and operation
• Lead key component design, manufacturing, and test reviews

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 mechanic and technician jobs in Long Beach, CA: $76k a year (23 listings, 6 employers). This listing is 103% higher.
• Across Rocket Lab's 456 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.

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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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Next steps

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• 188 more mechanic and technician jobs within 25 miles, on the job map with pay.
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