Quality Engineering Intern Spring 2027

Rocket Lab•Long Beach, CA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. The Quality Engineering Intern will be based at Rocket Lab’s Long Beach, California site and support supplier improvement and development initiatives. The Supplier Quality Engineering team works with suppliers and conducts root cause investigations to mitigate risks to production demand and part availability. The intern will work with a mentor and department employees to apply engineering and industry concepts to practical challenges, build technical and professional skills, and collaborate across teams. The role includes regular one-on-one meetings with mentors and supervisors, progress updates, and opportunities to attend technical talks and participate in social and professional events with interns and employees. The position requires full-time, on-site availability for at least 12 consecutive weeks, beginning in January, February, or March 2027. The hourly pay range is $28 USD. A relocation stipend may be available. Benefits eligibility may vary based on employment status.

Requirements

Be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in engineering, physics, or mathematics.
Have at least one semester of school remaining after the internship.
Have a GPA of 3.0 or above.
Have at least 3 months of applied engineering experience; internship, laboratory, and personal or team project experience counts.
Be able to work full-time on-site for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks beginning in January, February, or March 2027.
Thrive in ambiguous situations and be willing to work in small, high-performing teams focused on learning and growth.
Demonstrate the ability to lead development projects without supervision and collaborate across teams to deliver results.

Nice To Haves

GPA of 3.5 or above.
At least 6 months of applied engineering experience; internship, laboratory, and personal or team project experience counts.
Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or Minitab.
Computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) experience.
Experience with CNC equipment, mills, lathes, and powered equipment.
Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) experience.
Experience with Siemens NX, Jira, Solidworks, or ANSYS.
Proficiency in Python.
Proficiency in Excel, including Pivot Tables, Pareto charts, and VLOOKUPS.
Familiarity with Six Sigma, Lean, or quality systems.
Familiarity with reflow profiling, solder paste printing, and inspection equipment.

Responsibilities

Support supplier improvement and development initiatives.
Work with the Supplier Quality Engineering team on supplier interactions and root cause investigations to help mitigate risks to production demand and part availability.
Work with a mentor and department employees to apply engineering and industry concepts to real challenges.
Lead development projects without supervision and collaborate across teams to deliver results.
Attend regular one-on-one meetings with mentors and supervisors and provide progress updates.
Participate in technical talks and social and professional events with interns and employees.

Benefits

Possible stipend to subsidize relocation costs.
Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount on company stock.
Medical plans, including HMO, PPO, and a zero-cost HDHP option with an HSA company 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.
On-site fitness centers where available.
Discounted gym memberships.
Complimentary snacks and beverages.
50% employee discount on the company merchandise store.
Other employee discounts.