SCI)

Rocket Lab Corporation•Long Beach, CA

11h•$135,000 - $220,000•Onsite

About The Position

Based at Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you serve as the program authority for one of our most sensitive next‑generation mission platforms. You own the technical roadmap and all major programmatic decisions—from the first blank‑sheet prototype through flight qualification and into responsive production. This is a true high‑ownership role: you’ll immerse yourself in the operational realities of the warfighter, translate their hardest problems into concrete technical milestones, and become the person the entire program runs on. (Please note: This position can be hired at the Senior Program Manager II or Principal Program Manager level.)

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
8+ years of experience in the aerospace/space industry (for Senior Program Manager II)
5+ years of technical program management experience (for Senior Program Manager II)
12+ years of experience in the aerospace/space industry (for Principal Program Manager)
8+ years of technical program management experience (for Principal Program Manager)
Depth in at least one of the following domains: Prototype‑to‑flight transition, EO/IR and optical payloads, Production engineering, Manufacturing risk reduction, Advanced sensing and comms
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
For candidates seeking to work in US offices only: Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Nice To Haves

Production Velocity: A playbook for transitioning low-volume prototypes into responsive production without sacrificing mission reliability.
Domain Authority: Deep experience navigating National Security Space (NSS) and the most time-critical mission sets.
Capture & Customer: Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government contracts.
Advanced Technical Credibility: A master’s degree in engineering or a related field that lets you peer-review technical roadmaps.
Systems & Toolchain Fluency: You speak Systems Engineering — trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity — and use Jira, Confluence, and ERP to keep program health visible at speed.

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 an engineering culture where strong people take smart, healthy risks and the best idea wins, no matter who it comes from and coach and develop the next generation of program and team leaders.
Own the program P&L on a Firm Fixed Price basis: build accurate forecasts, hit revenue and margin milestones on time, prepare credible program and capital budgets, and make defensible Make/Buy decisions.
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.