Job brief: Spacecraft Operations Engineer II

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 2026-11-06.
• 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: $94,400 to $129,800 a year
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Long Beach, CA · RL Headquarters
• Posted: 2026-09-23

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

Level: Mid level. The posting asks for 2+ years of experience.

Must have

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
• 2+ years of direct experience in any of the following: space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, spacecraft command control or spacecraft operations
• US citizenship is required due to program requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain US Security clearance
• Master’s or PhD engineering in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
• Active TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance

Main duties

• Design, develop and test ground software for long term space operations: ground scripting for robust and automated ops
• Design, develop and test flight software sequences and FDIR/telemetry configuration to ensure spacecraft health and fault management through software-driven …
• Maintain the continuous integration and testing of our operational code
• Ensure the on-call or shifts of operations
• Develop test methods and data analysis

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 (145 listings, 3 employers). This listing is 32% lower.
• 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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