Job brief: Lead, Test & Launch Operations Engineer - Launch Pad

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 (4 days ago); last confirmed on the board 2026-11-08.
• 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: $149,000 to $174,000 a year
• Job type: Not stated
• Where: Wallops Island, VA · Launch Complex 3
• Posted: 2026-11-03

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

Level: Lead / staff. The title says "Lead".

Must have

• Operating from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia, Electron HASTE provides a unique capability to deliver hypersonic test vehicles to the required flight co…
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, electrical, chemical engineering, or other technical field
• 5+ years of engineering experience in ground systems, industrial controls, fluid systems, or launch operations
• Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S.
• as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S.
• These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' Internationa…

Main duties

• Lead Test & Launch Engineer – Launch Pad
• Lead and manage a team of Engineers responsible for launch pad ground systems, fluid systems, and infrastructure for Electron and Neutron launch operations
• Work in Mission Control as the console operator for launch pad systems during test campaigns, rehearsals, and launch operations
• Develop and maintain Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for launch pad systems and ground support equipment
• Create and continuously improve test plans, operational procedures, and checklists for ground systems operations

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 37% higher.
• Across Rocket Lab's 451 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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