Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer II
About The Position
As a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer II based out of Rocket Lab's headquarters in Littleton, CO, you will perform tracking, navigation, maneuver, trajectory planning, and collision avoidance design and operations for Earth orbiting, lunar, and interplanetary missions as part of a dynamic team with subject matter experts from Systems, Ground Software, Electrical, Avionics, Flight Software, Thermal, Propulsion, and GNC engineering disciplines. You will need to solve complex problems, at times under time critical conditions. Join a driven team of pioneers relentlessly tackling challenging projects, delivering on the impossible, and making an impact on the future of space!
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Space Systems, or an equivalent Engineering or Applied Physics degree.
- 8+ years of experience in mission design, flight dynamics.
- Demonstrated knowledge of orbital mechanics, including spaceflight dynamics, maneuver design, orbit determination, and Kalman filtering.
- Mission analysis with STK, Astrogator, GMAT, Monte, Copernicus, or equivalent.
- Python software development.
- Git version control, or an equivalent version control system.
- Jira software project management or equivalent.
- U.S. citizenship is required, due to program requirements
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field.
- Active Secret or TS/SCI clearance
- Monte Carlo numerical simulation.
- Orbit determination analysis with ODTK, Orekit, or equivalent
- Team and/or software project management experience.
- Ability to work complex problems under time pressure.
- Ability to prioritize tasks in consultation with a range of stakeholders.
Responsibilities
- Develop and analyze launch vehicle and spacecraft trajectories, including ascent, orbit insertion, and orbital maneuvers
- Perform orbital propagation, rendezvous planning, and station-keeping analysis for spacecraft operations
- Support mission design including launch window analysis, delta-V budgets, and contingency planning
- Interface with flight software and GNC teams to validate and optimize guidance profiles
- Generate and deliver trajectory data products and flight dynamics support for mission readiness reviews
- Contribute to development of in-house simulation tools and flight dynamics infrastructure
- Support real-time mission operations including anomaly response and post-launch data analysis
Benefits
- medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan options
- paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave
- paid parental leave
- company stock
- cash incentives
- Employee Stock Purchase Program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
