Senior Assembly Integration and Test Technician

Rocket Lab Corporation • Tucson, AZ

8h • Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab Optical Systems develops mission-critical space-domain and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions for Department of Defense and Intelligence Community customers. The team builds electro-optical and infrared systems for space, terrestrial, and airborne environments.

As a Senior Assembly, Integration and Test Technician in Tucson, Arizona, you will support Tranche 3 of the U.S. Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture by integrating advanced electro-optical space payloads. You will lead integration, alignment, calibration, and verification work; support environmental testing and customer reviews; resolve integration and performance issues; and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver payloads that meet mission requirements.

Requirements

• High school diploma.
• At least 4 years of experience.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Experience in optical system integration, test, or verification.
• Hands-on experience with optical alignment, metrology, interferometry, and imaging-system characterization.
• Familiarity with optical benches, cleanroom practices, contamination control, and environmental testing.
• Strong data-analysis, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with EO/IR payloads, infrared focal planes, or space-based sensor systems.
• Experience implementing alignment procedures, test scripts, and verification plans.
• Experience with automated test equipment or optical STE.

Responsibilities

• Lead integration, alignment, calibration, and verification activities for advanced EO/IR optical payloads used in spaceborne sensor systems.
• Perform optical integration tasks, including optical bench setup, alignment, metrology, and preparation for environmental testing.
• Develop and refine test procedures, optical characterization methods, and performance-validation processes.
• Support TVAC, vibration, and shock tests; monitor optical performance and ensure compliance with mission requirements.
• Resolve integration issues, test anomalies, and optical performance deviations.
• Work with Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, and AIT teams to support optical-mechanical-electrical integration.
• Support customer reviews, data packages, and technical briefings.
• Identify opportunities to improve alignment methods, test tooling, and data-analysis workflows.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED