Senior AI&T II/Principal Engineering (Production Manager) - Secret Clearance
About The Position
Rocket Lab’s Optical Systems division solves mission-critical space domain and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) challenges for Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) customers. Our vision is to revolutionize the space-based payload market with innovative and novel designs for space, terrestrial, and airborne environments. Building on more than 20 years of electro-optical and infrared systems innovation from Geost, Optical Systems delivers solutions to the warfighter for responsive, scalable sensing solutions across all orbital domains. We are looking for a Senior AI&T II/Principal Engineering (Production Manager) - Secret Clearance based at our Optical Systems site in Tucson, AZ. In this role, you will lead production execution for complex space hardware with a focus on integration, verification, and hardware readiness. You will manage build operations, test flow, material coordination, and team alignment to ensure hardware is delivered on schedule, on budget, and to mission-critical quality standards. You will partner closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and AIT teams to maintain seamless build-to-test transitions and drive continuous improvement across production workflows. (Please note: this position can be hired at the Senior Engineer II or Principal level)
Requirements
- Active U.S. Government Security Clearance with TS/SCI eligibility
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or related field
- 8+ years of production or manufacturing experience in aerospace hardware, high-reliability systems, or equivalent complex assemblies
- Demonstrated leadership experience managing production teams or large work cells.
- Strong understanding of production control, build scheduling, configuration management, and hardware traceability
- Proven ability to drive execution, manage bottlenecks, and deliver hardware on schedule.
- Active U.S. Government Security Clearance with TS/SCI eligibility
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or related field
- 12+ years of production or manufacturing experience in aerospace hardware, high-reliability systems, or equivalent complex assemblies
- Demonstrated leadership experience managing production teams or large work cells
- Strong understanding of production control, build scheduling, configuration management, and hardware traceability
- Proven ability to drive execution, manage bottlenecks, and deliver hardware on schedule.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Space, DoD, or high-reliability production environments
- Knowledge of electro-optical or sensor payload builds
- Experience implementing lean manufacturing, 5S, Kanban, or similar process-improvement tools
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., Costpoint, SAP)
- Prior experience in Production Management for complex aerospace hardware
- Excellent communication and team-building skills with the ability to motivate high-performing teams
Responsibilities
- Lead day-to-day production operations for complex space hardware, ensuring hardware flows efficiently from build through test while maintaining Rocket Lab’s commitment to fierce efficiency and beautiful execution
- Translate program schedules into executable production plans, driving throughput, resolving blockers, and ensuring every build meets quality and delivery commitments
- Lead a multidisciplinary production team (technicians, planners, quality, manufacturing engineers) with clarity, urgency, and accountability, we hustle
- Implement and refine production processes, tooling strategies, and build documentation to continually improve cycle times, first-pass yield, and hardware consistency
- Own production metrics, including schedule performance, labor efficiency, material readiness, and defect trends; execute rapid root-cause and corrective-action processes
- Collaborate closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and AIT to ensure alignment across all build stages, we have each other’s back
- Coordinate and lead product reviews, audits, cross-functional standups, and readiness events
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives, automation, process simplification, layout optimization, to keep the factory ever evolving and performing at the highest level
- Support customer milestones, major hardware deliveries, and integration events
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Number of Employees
1,001-5,000 employees
