SCI)

Rocket Lab Corporation•Long Beach, CA

1d•$115,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

This role is for a Senior Technical Program Manager I/II at Rocket Lab, based in Long Beach, CA. The individual will be the program authority for advanced optical and infrared sensing payloads. Responsibilities include owning the technical roadmap and "Make/Buy" decisions from prototype through qualification and into scalable production. The role requires immersion in the operational realities of tracking, warning, and surveillance missions to translate complex problems into concrete technical milestones. The position can be hired at either the Senior Technical Program Manager I or Senior Technical Program Manager II level.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
5+ years of program management experience (for Senior Technical Program Manager I)
8+ years of program management experience (for Senior Technical Program Manager II)
A demonstrated track record of owning a technical program, product, or team end to end and carrying it across the finish line under real pressure.
Evidence of moving real hardware and software from prototype toward scalable, flight-ready production.
Understanding of the nuances of EO/IR sensing, optical payloads, or focal plane arrays.
Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission.
Active TS/SCI clearance.
Specific vision abilities required: 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.

Nice To Haves

A proven playbook for transitioning low-volume prototypes into scalable production without sacrificing mission reliability.
Deep experience navigating National Security Space (NSS) or large sensing and tracking constellations.
Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government contracts.
A Master's degree in Engineering, Optics, or a related field.
Fluency in Systems Engineering, trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity.
Experience using Jira, Confluence, and ERP to keep program health visible at speed.
Multiple program cycles or 8+ years in aerospace/defense.

Responsibilities

Build and lead the team that takes EO/IR sensing payloads and optical systems from concept through qualification, scalable production, and flight.
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 trade-offs in pointing stability and jitter, sensitivity, and revisit.
Dive into program-threatening problems alongside the team.
Grow a culture where strong people take smart, healthy risks and the best idea wins.
Coach and develop the next generation of program and team leaders.
Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners.
Synchronize cross-functional teams across optics, electronics, software, and the data chain.
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 tracking, warning, and surveillance customers.
Partner with BD & Strategy on proposals and technical narratives that define the next generation of space domain awareness.