Senior Program Manager I
About The Position
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Program Manager I to serve as the program authority for high-volume satellite production at its global headquarters in Long Beach, California. The role owns production rate, yield, unit cost, and strategic program decisions from prototype maturity through full-rate production. It leads the lifecycle of high-volume satellite programs from concept through qualification, production, and flight, while developing the technical roadmap for the team's capabilities. The Senior Program Manager runs multiple programs, works with Chief Engineers on architecture and design decisions, and balances design-for-manufacturing, takt time, line-of-balance, rate-readiness, and reliability. The role leads and develops teams, manages suppliers and subcontracts, synchronizes manufacturing, supply chain, integration, and test functions, and serves as the primary contact for assigned commercial constellation operators. It also partners with Business Development and Strategy on proposals and technical narratives for future constellation production.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or another technical discipline.
- At least 5 years of program management experience.
- Demonstrated experience owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and delivering under pressure.
- Evidence of moving hardware and software from prototype toward high-rate production, with quantified yield, throughput, and cost gains.
- Understanding of takt time, line-of-balance, design-for-manufacturing, and learning-curve economics.
- Experience identifying and mitigating tooling, supply-chain, or yield risks before they slow production.
- U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Nice To Haves
- A proven approach to transitioning low-volume prototypes into full-rate production while maintaining mission reliability.
- Deep experience scaling satellite, aerospace, or comparable complex hardware production at volume.
- A repeatable record of reducing unit cost at production rate without sacrificing reliability.
- Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
- Systems engineering fluency, including trade studies, interface control, and requirement integrity.
- Experience using Jira, Confluence, and ERP/MRP systems to maintain program visibility.
- Multiple program cycles or at least 8 years in aerospace or defense.
Responsibilities
- Lead satellite programs from concept through qualification, full-rate production, and flight.
- Own production rate, yield, unit cost, strategic program decisions, and the technical roadmap for team capabilities.
- Run multiple active programs and make architectural decisions with Chief Engineers.
- Navigate design-for-manufacturing, takt time, line-of-balance, rate-readiness, and reliability trade-offs.
- Work directly with the team to address the most line-threatening problems.
- Build a culture that supports smart risks, strong ideas, and development of future program and team leaders.
- Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners while protecting schedule and margin.
- Coordinate manufacturing, supply chain, integration, and test teams and quickly remove roadblocks.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned commercial constellation operators.
- Partner with Business Development and Strategy on proposals and technical narratives for future constellation production.
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 merchandise store.
- Other employee discounts.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
