Senior Program Manager I - Flatellite

Rocket Lab•Long Beach, CA

9d•$116,800 - $160,600•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab’s Space Systems team builds spacecraft, payloads, and the components and subsystems that enable space missions. The Senior Technical Program Manager I – Flatellite role is based at Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, California, and is the program authority for high-volume satellite production. The role owns rate, yield, unit cost, and strategic program decisions from prototype maturity through full-rate production. The position leads multiple active programs and the teams responsible for taking satellites from concept through qualification, production, and flight. It owns the technical roadmap for expanding team capabilities and works with Chief Engineers on architectural decisions and trade-offs involving design for manufacturing, takt time, line of balance, production readiness, and reliability. The manager addresses production-critical problems, develops program and team leaders, manages strategic suppliers and subcontractors, and coordinates manufacturing, supply chain, integration, and test functions. The role also serves as the primary contact for assigned commercial constellation operators and partners with Business Development and Strategy on proposals and technical narratives. The position may involve prolonged sitting, standing, walking, and computer work, as well as occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas. Compensation includes base pay and company equity; the stated base salary range is $116,800–$160,600 USD, and the stated total compensation range (base and equity) is $137,075–$196,275 USD. Rocket Lab offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, retirement, leave, and employee discount programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in physics, mathematics, science, or another technical discipline.
At least 5 years of aerospace program management experience.
Demonstrated ownership of a technical program, product, or team from end to end and delivery under pressure.
Evidence of moving hardware and software from prototype toward high-rate production, with quantified improvements in yield, throughput, and cost.
Understanding of takt time, line of balance, design for manufacturing, and learning-curve economics.
Experience identifying tooling, supply-chain, or yield risks and addressing them before they delay production.
U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

A proven approach to transitioning low-volume prototypes into full-rate production while preserving mission reliability.
Deep experience scaling satellite, aerospace, or analogous complex hardware production at volume.
A record of reducing unit cost at production rate without sacrificing reliability.
Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
Systems engineering experience, including trade studies, interface control, and requirements integrity.
Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, and ERP/MRP systems.
Multiple program cycles or 8 or more years in aerospace or defense.

Responsibilities

Lead the lifecycle of high-volume satellite programs from initial concept through qualification, full-rate production, and flight.
Own program rate, yield, unit cost, strategic decisions, and the technical roadmap for team capabilities.
Lead multiple active programs and make architectural decisions with Chief Engineers.
Manage trade-offs involving design for manufacturing, takt time, line of balance, rate readiness, and reliability.
Work directly with the team to resolve production-critical problems.
Build a culture that supports smart risk-taking and strong ideas, and coach and develop future program and team leaders.
Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners to protect schedule and margin.
Coordinate manufacturing, supply chain, integration, and test teams, and remove roadblocks to maintain speed and quality.
Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned commercial constellation operators.
Partner with Business Development and Strategy on proposals and technical narratives for future constellation production.

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 coverage.
Vision coverage.
Paid vacation and sick time.
11 paid holidays.
Flexible spending and dependent care accounts.
Paid parental leave.
Disability insurance.
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.