Senior Manufacturing Engineer II - TPA

Rocket Lab•Long Beach, CA

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer II based at its Long Beach, California headquarters. The role develops new products and product revisions related to the Rutherford and Archimedes engines, with primary responsibility for the Archimedes engine turbopump assembly. The engineer supports the Director of Manufacturing Engineering and the Production organization, producing deliverables for internal leadership, the board of directors, and investors. The position provides technical and professional mentorship, helps define team standards, and contributes to engineering processes and documentation. It supports design reviews with expertise in design for manufacture, machining, productivity, and quality control. The engineer develops tooling, equipment, and production processes; implements factory layouts and equipment; and supports testing, commissioning, and continuous improvement. The role also collaborates with propulsion assembly technicians and the quality team, including leading containment and root-cause/corrective-action investigations when needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing engineering, or a similar engineering discipline.
At least 8 years of experience in a heavy development manufacturing environment.
Understanding of fluid and structural mechanics fundamentals.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes for aerospace materials.

Nice To Haves

Advanced engineering degree.
Experience with design, testing, and development of turbopumps or similar turbomachinery.
Experience contributing to and steering design reviews, providing technical expertise in design for manufacture, test, and assembly.
Well versed in GD&T and inspection methods.
Working experience with capacity modeling, process mapping, Lean/Six Sigma, and value stream mapping.
Experience with 3D CAD software and tooling design.

Responsibilities

Mentor and coach team members in technical and professional development.
Define and maintain team standards through documentation, training, coaching, and review of others’ work.
Contribute to engineering process development and documentation at Rocket Lab.
Contribute technical expertise to design reviews, including design for manufacture, machining, productivity, and quality control.
Design, develop, and implement production tooling and equipment to improve quality, delivery, or cost performance where appropriate.
Lead continuous-improvement and cost-reduction projects.
Collaborate with propulsion assembly technicians on alignment, capability, and support.
Conduct initial value stream mapping exercises and develop methods of manufacture and cell designs.
Implement factory layouts and equipment selection, and support FAT, SAT, and production commissioning.
Develop production processes and ensure they are clearly documented, including testing procedures, health and safety requirements, and supervisor signoffs.
Interface with the quality team to resolve manufacturing engineering quality responsibilities and, when required, lead problem containment and structured root-cause and corrective-action investigations.
Lead continuous improvement in the assigned area using lean tools and techniques such as 5S.

Benefits

Company stock as part of total compensation.
Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount on company stock.
Medical plans, including HMO, PPO, and a zero-cost HDHP option with a company HSA 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.
Onsite fitness centers where available.
Discounted gym memberships.
Complimentary snacks and beverages.
50% employee discount on the company merch store.
Other employee discounts.