Senior Program Manager II(TS/SCI)

Rocket Lab•Long Beach, CA

1d•$134,300 - $201,350•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Program Manager II to serve as program authority for a sensitive next-generation mission platform. Based at the company’s global headquarters in Long Beach, California, this role owns the technical roadmap and major program decisions from early prototype development through flight qualification and responsive production. The position involves understanding warfighter operational needs and translating them into technical milestones while leading the overall program.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or another technical discipline.
At least 8 years of experience in the aerospace or space industry.
At least 5 years of technical program management experience.
Depth in at least one of the following: prototype-to-flight transition; EO/IR and optical payloads; production engineering; manufacturing risk reduction; or advanced sensing and communications such as RADAR, SAR, or advanced communications architectures.
Experience identifying and neutralizing technical, schedule, or supply-chain risks before they affect the mission.
Active TS/SCI clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience transitioning low-volume prototypes into responsive production while maintaining mission reliability.
Deep experience in National Security Space and time-critical mission sets.
Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government contracts.
Master’s degree in engineering or a related field.
Systems engineering fluency, including trade studies, interface control, and requirements integrity.
Experience using Jira, Confluence, and ERP systems to maintain program visibility.

Responsibilities

Lead teams taking highly maneuverable, time-critical mission platforms from concept through qualification, responsive production, and flight; own the technical roadmap for growing core capabilities.
Manage multiple active programs and make architectural decisions with Chief Engineers, including trade-offs involving closed-loop guidance and control, onboard autonomy, and propulsion.
Address major program risks directly alongside the team.
Build an engineering culture that encourages smart risks and strong ideas, and coach and develop future program and team leaders.
Own Firm Fixed Price program P&L, including forecasts, revenue and margin milestones, program and capital budgets, and Make/Buy decisions.
Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners while protecting schedule and margin.
Coordinate hardware, software, GNC, and mission assurance teams and remove roadblocks while maintaining quality and pace.
Serve as the primary contact for assigned U.S. Government national security customers.
Partner with Business Development and Strategy on proposals and technical narratives for future national security mission systems.

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.