Manager, Mechanical Engineering

Rocket Lab•Pasadena, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is seeking a hands-on mechanical engineering leader to lead and support the mechanical engineering function at Rocket Lab Robotics in Pasadena, California. The Manager, Mechanical Engineering will manage people, guide technical execution, support staffing and utilization, and contribute technically to programs involving flight and ground hardware. The role leads a team delivering space robotics, precision mechanisms, electromechanical assemblies, tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, and other high-reliability hardware. It combines people leadership and functional responsibilities—including mentoring, performance feedback, career development, resource planning, and budgets—with hands-on engineering work in design, analysis, build, test, and delivery. The manager will help teams deliver validated mechanical and electromechanical systems that meet technical, cost, schedule, and quality targets. The position owns mechanical design efforts from concept through CAD, analysis, drawing release, procurement, assembly, integration, environmental test, qualification, and delivery. It drives decisions on architecture, packaging, interfaces, tolerances, materials, fabrication, assembly, inspection, verification, and design risk, while identifying and mitigating technical, schedule, staffing, manufacturing, and test risks.

Requirements

Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or another related engineering discipline.
At least 8 years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience, including leading development efforts and supporting engineering teams.
Proven track record delivering high-reliability or spaceflight hardware from concept through design, build, integration, environmental test, qualification, and delivery.
Experience managing or technically leading engineers, including prioritization, mentoring, technical review, performance feedback, staffing support, and professional development.
Strong background in mechanical design, precision mechanisms, robotics, electromechanical assemblies, aerospace hardware, tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, or related systems.
Experience with the full mechanical development cycle, including requirements definition, concept development, trade studies, CAD, analysis, drawing release, procurement, assembly, test, troubleshooting, and production readiness.
Experience designing and delivering space mechanisms or similar high-reliability motion systems, including motorized mechanisms, actuators, gimbals, gear trains, harmonic drives, bearings, motors, rotary sensors, springs, release devices, and kinematic or pseudo-kinematic interfaces.
Strong experience with SolidWorks as the primary CAD tool, including CAD modeling, production drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, mechanical analysis, bills of material, and design documentation.
Hands-on experience supporting hardware assembly, integration, troubleshooting, inspection, environmental test, qualification, and design iteration.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with NASA, JPL, DoD, commercial space, or prime contractor flight programs.
Experience with robotic manipulators, in-space servicing, planetary robotics, precision spacecraft mechanisms, or similar space robotics systems.
Experience establishing or scaling a mechanical engineering function, including hiring, technical standards, design review practices, mentoring, resource planning, and engineering process development.
Experience with AS9100, ISO 9001, NASA standards, configuration management, quality systems, root cause investigations, failure analysis, nonconformance disposition, or test anomaly resolution.
Strong communication, documentation, presentation, problem-solving, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Responsibilities

Lead, manage, and develop mechanical engineers delivering space robotics, precision mechanisms, electromechanical assemblies, tooling, fixtures, ground support equipment, and related high-reliability hardware.
Foster a high-performance engineering culture emphasizing technical ownership, practical design execution, clear documentation, hands-on hardware delivery, and accountability.
Support staffing, utilization, mentoring, performance feedback, career development, resource planning, budgets, and functional priorities across programs.
Contribute hands-on technically by developing mechanical concepts, creating and reviewing SolidWorks CAD, performing trade studies, supporting analysis, resolving design issues, and driving hardware through build, test, and delivery.
Own and lead mechanical design efforts from concept through CAD, analysis, drawing release, procurement, assembly, integration, environmental test, qualification, and delivery.
Drive technical decisions on mechanical architecture, packaging, interfaces, tolerance strategy, materials, fabrication approach, assembly flow, inspection planning, verification, and design risk.
Identify technical, schedule, staffing, manufacturing, and test risks, and develop mitigation plans to improve program execution and delivery.

Benefits

Company stock as part of total compensation.
Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount on company stock.
Medical plans including HMO, PPO, and a zero-cost HDHP option with a significant company HSA contribution.
Dental and vision coverage.
Paid vacation and sick time.
11 paid holidays.
Flexible spending and dependent care accounts.
Paid parental leave.
Disability and life insurance.
401(k) retirement plan with company match.
Subsidized EV charging.
Onsite fitness centers where available.
Discounted gym memberships.
Complimentary snacks and beverages.
50% employee discount on the company merch store.
A variety of other employee discounts.