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Job Overview
Location
Remote
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Software Engineering
Date Posted
October 11, 2025
Full Job Description
đź“‹ Description
- • Lead the design, analysis, and continuous improvement of recovery systems for Electron and Neutron launch vehicles, ensuring every stage returns to Earth intact and ready for rapid refurbishment and re-flight.
- • Own the full lifecycle of recovery hardware—from initial concept through flight qualification—by running CFD, FEA, and thermal analyses, building prototypes, and executing drop-tests, ocean-tow trials, and helicopter captures.
- • Collaborate daily with propulsion, GNC, avionics, and launch-ops teams to integrate recovery requirements into vehicle architecture; translate high-level mission objectives into detailed, testable hardware specifications and interface control documents.
- • Spearhead post-flight data reviews: dissect telemetry, imagery, and sensor logs to identify performance anomalies, quantify structural margins, and feed lessons learned into the next design sprint.
- • Drive reliability and safety analyses (FMEA, fault trees, hazard reports) that satisfy NASA, FAA, and internal human-rating standards; present findings to certification boards and external regulators.
- • Mentor junior engineers and technicians, cultivating a culture of rapid iteration, rigorous documentation, and fearless innovation; host weekly design reviews and lunch-and-learn sessions on advanced materials, deployable structures, and ocean engineering.
- • Manage supplier relationships and manufacturing partners for parachutes, airbags, flotation systems, and thermal protection; negotiate cost, schedule, and technical performance while safeguarding proprietary designs.
- • Contribute to long-term strategic roadmaps for Neutron’s reusable architecture, including propulsive landing, mid-air capture, and ocean recovery logistics; quantify business cases for cost-per-flight reductions.
- • Champion continuous improvement initiatives: automate data pipelines, deploy digital-twin simulations, and integrate machine-learning models that predict component fatigue and optimize refurbishment cycles.
- • Represent Rocket Lab at conferences, customer briefings, and regulatory hearings; publish technical papers that advance the state of the art in launch-vehicle recovery and reusability.
🎯 Requirements
- • Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, or ocean engineering plus 7+ years designing flight hardware for launch vehicles, spacecraft, or high-performance aircraft.
- • Demonstrated expertise in structural dynamics, aerodynamics, or marine engineering with a track record of hardware flown to orbit and successfully recovered.
- • Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or C++ for simulation and data analysis; hands-on experience with CFD (ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+) and FEA packages (NASTRAN, ABAQUS).
- • Strong project-management skills—ability to own schedules, budgets, and risk registers across multi-disciplinary teams in a fast-paced, milestone-driven environment.
- • Nice-to-have: Master’s or PhD in relevant discipline, experience with parachute or parafoil design, FAA launch or reentry licensing, and familiarity with DNV or ABS marine standards.
🏖️ Benefits
- • 100% company-sponsored medical HSA plan option plus top-tier HMO/PPO, dental, and vision coverage for you and eligible dependents.
- • 3 weeks paid vacation, 5 days sick leave, and 11 paid holidays per year, with flexible scheduling and remote-first culture.
- • Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with company match and discounted employee stock purchase program, putting equity in your hands.
- • Paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, and a free on-site snack & beverage program for days you’re at any Rocket Lab facility.
Skills & Technologies
About Rocket Lab USA, Inc.
Rocket Lab is an American aerospace company that designs and manufactures the Electron and Neutron rockets, operates the Photon spacecraft bus, and provides dedicated and rideshare launch services from sites in New Zealand and Virginia. Founded in 2006, it focuses on small-to-medium satellite deployment, interplanetary missions, and responsive space access, complemented by spacecraft components, satellite subsystems, and global ground segment services for commercial, civil, and national security customers.
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