Senior UX Design Engineer I/II
About The Position
Based out of our site in Littleton, CO, Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior UX Design Engineer I/II to lead the design and development of intuitive, mission critical user interfaces that support spacecraft operations, mission planning, and ground systems software. In this role, you will bridge the gap between design and engineering — transforming complex aerospace workflows into elegant, efficient, and highly usable digital tools. You will collaborate closely with software engineers, systems engineers, mission operators, and product teams to define user needs, prototype solutions, and deliver polished, production ready UI components. Your work will directly support national security missions, interplanetary exploration, and next generation space systems. This is a high impact role for someone who thrives at the intersection of UX design, frontend engineering, and human machine interaction.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in UX Design, HCI, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
- 5+ years of experience in UX design, UX engineering, or front-end development (for I level)
- 8+ years of experience in UX design, UX engineering, or front-end development (for II level)
- Strong portfolio demonstrating complex system design, dashboards, or technical interfaces
- Proficiency with modern design tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, etc.)
- Experience building prototypes or UI components using HTML/CSS/JavaScript or modern frameworks
- Ability to translate technical requirements into user centered design solutions
- Experience designing information-dense displays with very large data sets
- Background in designing user interfaces with interactive features to drive user engagement
- U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements
Nice To Haves
- Experience designing interfaces for aerospace, robotics, defense, or other mission critical systems
- Familiarity with spacecraft operations, telemetry visualization, or command/control systems
- Experience with frontend frameworks (Angular, React, Vue, TypeScript)
- Background in human machine interface (HMI) design
- Experience working with complex data visualization or real time systems
- Experience collaborating with software engineering teams in an agile environment
- Strong understanding of usability principles, interaction design, and information architecture
Responsibilities
- Lead UX design efforts for mission operations tools, spacecraft command interfaces, and engineering software
- Translate complex aerospace workflows into intuitive user experiences
- Build interactive prototypes and front-end components to validate design concepts
- Partner with software engineering teams to ensure designs are technically feasible and implemented with high fidelity
- Conduct user research and usability testing with mission operators and engineering teams
- Develop and maintain design systems, UI standards, and reusable component libraries
- Advocate for user centered design across the Space Systems organization
- Contribute to the overall product strategy for ground and flight software tools
Benefits
- medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan options
- paid vacation
- holidays
- sick leave
- paid parental leave
- company stock
- cash incentives
- Employee Stock Purchase Program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
