Senior Manufacturing Engineer- Composites

Rocket Lab Corporation•Middle River, MD
•$108,800 - $149,600•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Composites, to work at its Space Structures Complex production facility in Middle River, Maryland. The role develops, implements, and continually improves composite manufacturing technologies and processes used to produce the Neutron Launch Vehicle structure. The engineer contributes to production planning, process documentation, tooling and equipment design, facility projects, product introduction, and manufacturing quality and efficiency. The position also provides technical leadership by investigating production issues and mentoring less experienced engineers and technicians.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering, or another technical degree.
  • At least 5 years of composite manufacturing experience.

Nice To Haves

  • Working experience with capacity modeling, process mapping, Lean/Six Sigma, and value stream mapping.
  • Experience with 3D CAD software and tooling design.
  • Experience in Automated Fiber Placement technology.
  • Experience with autoclave and out-of-autoclave composite manufacturing techniques.
  • Experience with non-destructive testing or inspection of composite components.
  • Experience in qualification and acceptance testing of composite structural components.

Responsibilities

  • Identify, plan, and execute capital equipment, machine, and layout definitions to meet volume requirements, including preparing business cases.
  • Develop production processes and document them clearly and accurately, including testing procedures, health and safety requirements, and supervisor sign-offs.
  • Design, develop, and implement tooling and equipment for production to meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost requirements.
  • Contribute to facility construction projects through requirements generation, design reviews, and implementation support.
  • Contribute manufacturing expertise to design reviews, including design for manufacture and test, productivity, supplier capability assessments, and quality control.
  • Oversee the introduction and implementation of new products and product revisions for the Neutron launch vehicle composite structure.
  • Lead problem containment and structured root-cause and corrective-action investigations.
  • Analyze and resolve manufacturing discrepancies and non-conformances.
  • Introduce automation where appropriate and ensure equipment data links directly to MRP and quality systems.
  • Identify risks and improvements to develop the manufacturing engineering department to meet company needs.
  • Develop and mentor less experienced engineers and technicians.

Benefits

  • Company stock as part of the total compensation package.
  • Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount on company stock.
  • Medical HMO and PPO plans and a company-sponsored medical HSA plan option.
  • Dental and vision coverage.
  • Three weeks of paid vacation and five days of sick leave per year.
  • Eleven paid holidays per year.
  • Flexible spending and dependent care savings accounts.
  • Paid parental leave.
  • Disability insurance.
  • Life insurance.
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
  • Free onsite snacks and drinks.
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