Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer II- Secret Clearance

Rocket Lab Corporation•Long Beach, CA

7d•$141,800 - $212,600•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is hiring a Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer II to support the health, safety, and optimal performance of its satellite fleet while meeting mission objectives and service-level agreements for commercial and government customers. Based at the company’s headquarters in Long Beach, California, the role supports diverse missions, including LEO constellations, interplanetary exploration, LEO rendezvous, and SDA-related deployments. Responsibilities span commissioning, orbit raising, routine operations, and potentially re-entry. The engineer works closely with spacecraft design, AIT, flight software, propulsion, GNC, flight dynamics, and ground software teams to improve ground and satellite capabilities. The role serves as the program’s mission operations technical lead, setting operational direction and strategy, planning and prioritizing staff work, and acting as the primary operations contact for program-level design decisions and trades. It advocates for operability in spacecraft and ground architecture, owns mission operations requirements and verification, and leads software-driven automation and operations tooling. The position also develops flight and ground software products, operational documents, and validation procedures; supports spacecraft integration and testing; and represents mission operations at reviews and readiness gates. The position requires an active U.S. Government Secret Security Clearance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, such as software, computer, electrical, aerospace, or mechanical engineering, or another technical engineering discipline.
At least 8 years of direct experience in space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, spacecraft command and control, or spacecraft operations.
At least 3 years of experience leading teams of engineers through spacecraft missions or related aerospace projects.
Previous experience as a Mission Lead, Mission Director, Flight Director, or Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer.
Previous experience supporting mission operations in an on-console or operator-in-the-loop capacity.
Thorough understanding of spacecraft subsystems and components, including ADCS, EPS, space-to-ground communications, C&DH, TCS, propulsion, and FDIR.
Understanding of the space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics.
At least 5 years of direct software development experience using Python, Ruby, C, C++, or other high-level languages, covering areas such as onboard flight scripts, ground scripting and automation, and data manipulation and analysis.
Active U.S. Government Secret Security Clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or PhD in an engineering discipline such as software, computer, electrical, aerospace, or mechanical engineering.
Prior experience in spacecraft operations.
Prior experience in satellite system design.
Prior experience in satellite ground systems.
Exposure to modern development practices, including Git, CI/CD, and cloud infrastructure.
Proficiency with Agile issue-tracking tools, specifically Jira, for mission task management, status tracking, and bug reporting.
Exposure to Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing frameworks that simulate software behavior in operational environments.
Familiarity with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing frameworks integrating software and hardware systems.
Active TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

Serve as the program’s mission operations technical lead, setting technical direction and strategy, planning and prioritizing mission operations staff work, and serving as the primary operations contact for program-level design decisions and trades.
Advocate for operability by influencing spacecraft and ground architecture and pushing for design or execution changes when operational needs require them.
Own mission operations requirements and lead requirements validation and verification for spacecraft missions and system-level capabilities and functions.
Define the automation strategy and lead development of software-driven methods for mission operations, testing, and data analysis.
Design, develop, and test flight software sequences and FDIR/telemetry configurations for spacecraft health and fault management.
Architect, develop, and test ground software for long-duration operations, including scripting and automation frameworks that support robust, scalable operations.
Establish and steward integration, testing, and maintenance of mission operations tools and codebases, including CI, version control, and release discipline; ensure operations on-call or shift schedules.
Author and own interface specifications, CONOPS, contingency procedures, and other operational design documents.
Lead validation of flight products and procedures against spacecraft simulation tools, including flatsat, HITL, SIL, and digital twins.
Support AIT teams during integrated spacecraft tests, including TVAC, propulsion stack, and DITL activities.
Provide program and product support to team leads and program managers, and serve as a technical interface between New Zealand and U.S. engineering teams.
Represent mission operations in program milestone reviews, design reviews, and readiness gates, and drive continuous improvement through post-mission lessons learned.

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.