Principal DevOps Engineer

Rocket Lab Corporation•Littleton, CO

About The Position

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access space. The rockets and satellites we build, and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations. Our Electron rocket has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, all while we work to develop Neutron, our upcoming medium-lift, reusable launch vehicle for larger constellation deployment. Our Space Systems business designs and builds our extensive line of satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft that have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and components used on the James Webb Space Telescope. SPACE SYSTEMS At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more. Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions. PRINCIPAL DEVOPS ENGINEER Based out of Rocket Lab’s Littleton, CO, the Principal DevOps Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining our spacecraft flight software build environment. You will be working closely with the flight software engineering team to plan out and implement a continuous build system for a variety of missions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or equivalent technical degree
12+ years of experience with software development
Strong experience with Linux
Strong experience with Docker
Strong experience writing maintainable bash scripts
Experience building C/C++ Applications
Experience with embedded toolchains
Experience with Git Submodules
Experience with Python 3
Active DoD Secret security clearance, or ability to obtain and maintain one
U.S citizenship is required, due to program requirements

Nice To Haves

Active TS/SCI clearance
Experience writing a TeamCity Pipeline-as-Configuration library/framework
Experience with embedded software including microcontrollers and/or Q7
Experience with Gitlab/Jira Integration
Experience with Yocto
Experience with Make and/or CMake
Experience with Bazel
Experience with Robot Framework
Experience using GCC with cross compilation
Experience with a Code Quality tool like SonarQube or CppCheck
Experience with dynamic analysis tools like ASan and Valgrind

Responsibilities

Work closely with embedded software teams to develop and improve our TeamCity build pipelines.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate continuous build and testing into a broader CI/CT/CD framework.
Partner with flight software developers, operations personnel, and systems engineers to understand requirements and functional needs.
Design and implement scalable and reliable automation solutions to streamline software development and testing workflows.
Optimize build systems for performance, reliability, and scalability to support multiple spacecraft missions.
Develop tools and scripts to automate repetitive tasks and improve developer productivity.
Monitor and troubleshoot build pipelines to ensure smooth operation and rapid issue resolution.
Stay up to date with the latest DevOps tools and technologies, and recommend improvements to existing processes.
Mentor and guide junior engineers on best practices for DevOps and CI/CD workflows.
Contribute to the overall architecture and strategy for Rocket Lab’s software development infrastructure.

Benefits

Base salary is only one part of Rocket Lab’s compensation package for this role.
You may be eligible for company stock, or cash incentives, and can purchase discounted stock through Rocket Lab’s Employee Stock Purchase Program.
Employee benefits also include medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage; 401(k) retirement plan options; paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave; paid parental leave; and other discounts and perks.

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