Senior Program Manager II - Flatellite

Rocket Lab•Long Beach, CA

9d•$153,000 - $229,500•Onsite

About The Position

Rocket Lab is hiring a Senior Technical Program Manager II for its Flatellite program, based at the company’s global headquarters in Long Beach, California. The role is the program authority for high-volume satellite production, owning rate, yield, unit cost, and strategic program decisions from prototype maturity through full-rate production. The program manager leads the transition from concept through qualification, production, and flight, and owns the technical roadmap for developing the team’s capabilities. The role runs multiple active programs and works with Chief Engineers and cross-functional teams to resolve difficult architecture and production trade-offs. It includes leading and developing teams, addressing issues that threaten production, managing suppliers and subcontractors, and serving as the primary contact for assigned commercial constellation operators. The role also partners with Business Development and Strategy on proposals and technical narratives for future constellation production. 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. Rocket Lab offers competitive base pay and company stock as part of total compensation. The stated California base pay range is $153,000–$229,500 USD; final level and pay depend on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, science, or another technical discipline.
8+ years of aerospace program management experience.
Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of a technical program, product, or team, with a record of delivering under pressure.
Evidence of moving hardware and software from prototype toward high-rate production, with quantified gains in yield, throughput, and cost.
Understanding of takt time, line-of-balance, design-for-manufacturing, and learning-curve economics.
Experience identifying and addressing tooling, supply-chain, or yield risks before they disrupt 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 without compromising mission reliability.
Deep experience scaling satellite, aerospace, or analogous complex hardware production at volume.
A repeatable record of reducing unit cost at production rate without sacrificing reliability.
Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
Systems engineering fluency, including trade studies, interface control, and requirement integrity.
Experience using Jira, Confluence, and ERP/MRP systems to keep program health visible.
Multiple program cycles or 8+ years in aerospace or defense.

Responsibilities

Lead the team taking high-volume satellites from concept through qualification, full-rate production, and flight.
Own the technical roadmap for expanding the team’s core capabilities.
Run multiple active programs concurrently and make architectural decisions with Chief Engineers.
Navigate design-for-manufacturing, takt-time, line-of-balance, rate-readiness, and reliability trade-offs.
Work directly with the team to address the most critical production-line problems.
Build a culture of smart risk-taking, strong execution, and open consideration of ideas; 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 while maintaining quality and speed.
Serve as 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.