Rocket Lab Corporation

Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer I/II

Rocket Lab Corporation · Long Beach, CA

Posted 12 days ago

or apply directly on Rocket Lab Corporation's site. We never take the application ourselves.

Is this posting real?

This role has been open
12 days
Rocket Lab Corporation's roles stay open a median of 42 days
Reposted
No
Salary listed
No
0% of Rocket Lab Corporation's roles list one
Ghost-job risk at Rocket Lab Corporation
low
0 stale, 12 reposted of 455 open
Hiring momentum
683 roles opened in the last 90 days
↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
Last confirmed on the employer's board
2026-09-17

Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from Rocket Lab Corporation's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for Rocket Lab Corporation.

About this role

The Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer I/II at Rocket Lab is responsible for ensuring the health and performance of a fleet of satellites, supporting various missions including LEO constellations and interplanetary exploration. The role involves leveraging automation for spacecraft operations, developing ground and flight software, and collaborating with multiple engineering teams to enhance capabilities. This position requires a blend of technical expertise and operational oversight during critical mission phases.

Our read on this posting3.4out of 5
benefits
5/5
freshness
4/5
career value
4/5
role clarity
4/5
pay transparency
0/5

Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of Rocket Lab Corporation as an employer.

What you need

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
  • 5+ years of direct experience in space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, spacecraft command control or spacecraft operations (for Senior Engineer I)
  • 8+ years of direct experience in space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, spacecraft command control or spacecraft operations (for Senior Engineer II)
  • Understanding of key spacecraft subsystems and their associated components, including attitude determination and control, spacecraft electrical power systems, space-ground communications, on-orbit command and data handling, and thermal control
  • Understanding of the space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics
  • Software development experience (Python/Ruby/C/C++/other high-level languages)

Nice to have

  • Master’s or PhD in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
  • Prior experience in spacecraft operations
  • Prior experience in satellite system design
  • Prior experience in satellite ground systems
  • Exposure to modern development practices – GIT, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure

What you get

  • Competitive base pay
  • Company stock as part of total compensation package
  • Employee Stock Purchase Program (with a 15% discount on company stock)
  • Top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, and a zero cost HDHP option with a significant HSA company contribution)
  • Dental and vision coverage
  • Paid vacation and sick time

Worth weighing

  • No specific salary range mentioned for the Senior Engineer I/II levels beyond base and total compensation ranges.
  • The role covers a multitude of responsibilities, which may imply a broad scope of work that could be demanding.
  • Position requires the ability to obtain and maintain US Security clearance, which may be a barrier for some candidates.

Summarised from Rocket Lab Corporation's posting. Read the full original.

Listed by Rocket Lab Corporation on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-09-17. PitchMeAI is not the employer.

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