Senior Program Manager II - Laser Communications

Rocket Lab Corporation•Long Beach, CA

11d•$153,000 - $229,500•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Program Manager II is the customer champion and delivery lead for Rocket Lab’s optical communication terminal programs, based at the company’s global headquarters in Long Beach, California. The role owns customer outcomes, day-to-day customer relationships, delivery commitments and schedules, milestone and acceptance reviews, risk, and program health. It manages programs using a proven standard terminal product while partnering with Product on configuration, pricing, and customer needs. The position leads programs from award through qualification, rate production, delivery, and on-orbit checkout, across current-generation products and next-generation variants. It coordinates with engineering, production, operations, supply chain, finance, Product, Business Development and Strategy, and Trade Compliance across U.S. and European sites. The program manager is also expected to mentor colleagues and help develop future program leaders. The role may involve prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and computer work, as well as occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or Math.
Working understanding of free-space optical or RF communications, including link budgets, pointing, acquisition and tracking, modems and coding, and space or airborne environmental qualification.
At least 8 years of experience in space, aerospace, or photonics hardware programs, including multiple full program cycles.
Track record of leading a complex hardware program through delivery, managing customer relationships, schedule, risk, and acceptance under pressure.
Evidence of moving hardware from prototype through qualification to rate-production delivery to customers.
Experience managing program cost, estimate at completion (EAC), and customer contract changes in partnership with finance and product teams on a program of meaningful scale.
Experience delivering hardware at rate to a demanding customer while maintaining the customer’s trust through challenges such as schedule slips, test failures, or contract changes.
U.S. Person status required for ITAR/EAR compliance.

Nice To Haves

Ability to obtain a security clearance.
Direct experience with optical inter-satellite links or optical ground or airborne terminals.
A proven approach to moving low-volume, hand-built optical or electro-optical hardware into high-rate production without sacrificing reliability.
Experience delivering to large commercial or defense constellation programs.
Experience serving as primary customer interface for constellation operators or satellite primes from kickoff through acceptance.
Experience leading program work across geographically dispersed sites, including export-control and dual-use compliance.
Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Optics/Photonics, Physics, or a related field.
Systems engineering knowledge, including trade studies, interface control, and requirement integrity, and experience using Jira, Confluence, and ERP/MRP tools.
Use of AI tools in program management, including schedule and risk analysis, status reporting, or customer communications.

Responsibilities

Lead terminal programs from award through qualification, rate production, delivery, and on-orbit checkout, ensuring schedule, technical performance, and customer commitments are met.
Manage multiple concurrent customer programs and work with Chief Engineers on link performance, data rate, SWaP, environmental qualification, and optical terminal interoperability.
Own program delivery profiles and identify and resolve yield, supplier, and test-capacity risks with Operations and the Product team.
Work with Supply Chain to manage critical suppliers as strategic partners and maintain accountability for customer delivery schedules.
Own program startup and baselining, milestone and qualification reviews, export and ITAR obligations with Trade Compliance, customer acceptance, and closeout across U.S. and European sites.
Serve as the trusted customer point of contact through milestone reviews, interoperability campaigns, acceptance, and delivery.
Partner with Business Development and Strategy on proposals and with Product on pricing and configuration, incorporating customer needs into decisions.
Mentor colleagues, set a high standard for customer engagement, and help develop future program leaders.

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.