SCI)

Rocket Lab Corporation•Long Beach, CA

1d•$115,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

Based at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you are the program authority for one of our most sensitive next-generation mission platforms. You own the technical roadmap and strategic program decisions from the first “blank sheet” prototype, through flight qualification, and into responsive production. This is a high-ownership role: you'll immerse yourself in the operational realities of the warfighter to turn their hardest problems into concrete technical milestones, and you'll be the person the program runs on. (Please note: this position can be hired at the Senior Technical Program Manager I OR Senior Technical Program Manager II level)

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
5+ years of program management experience (for Senior Technical Program Manager I)
8+ years of program management experience (for Senior Technical Program Manager II)
A demonstrated track record of owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and carrying it across the finish line under real pressure, we hire on what you've shipped, not years logged
Evidence you've moved real hardware and software from prototype toward qualified, flight-ready systems
Understanding of the nuances of closed-loop guidance and control, on-board autonomy, or propulsion for high-performance platforms
Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission
Active TS/SCI clearance
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus
Regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, operate computer keyboard and controls, and communicate verbally and in writing
Must be physically able to commute to buildings
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

A proven playbook for transitioning low-volume prototypes into responsive production without sacrificing mission reliability.
Deep experience navigating National Security Space (NSS) and the most time-critical mission sets.
Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government contracts.
A Master's degree in Engineering or a related field that lets you peer-review technical roadmaps.
You speak Systems Engineering — trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity — and use Jira, Confluence, and ERP to keep program health visible at speed.
Multiple program cycles or 8+ years in space/defense, sharpen the edge, but we weight the hardest thing you've shipped over the count.

Responsibilities

Build and lead the team that takes highly maneuverable, time-critical mission platforms from a “blank sheet” concept through qualification, responsive production, and flight, and own the technical roadmap that grows the team's core capabilities.
Run multiple active programs at once, make sound architectural calls with Chief Engineers, navigate the hardest trade-offs in closed-loop guidance and control, on-board autonomy, and propulsion, and personally dive into the most program-threatening problems alongside the team.
Grow a culture where strong people take smart, healthy risks and the best idea wins, no matter who it comes from, we back bold calls and treat an intelligent miss as the cost of moving fast and coach and develop the next generation of program and team leaders.
Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners essential to the mission, protecting schedule and margin.
Synchronize cross-functional teams across hardware, software, GNC, and mission assurance and clear roadblocks quickly so the team keeps moving at speed and quality stays high.
Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned U.S. Government national security customers, and partner with BD & Strategy on proposals and technical narratives that define the next generation of national security mission systems.