Senior Harness Design Engineer II

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

Based out of Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, the
Senior
Harness Design Engineer II
will primarily focus on the design, development, and integration of electrical harnesses for our spacecraft. This includes defining interfaces, selecting components, specifying split locations and lengths, and generating design documentation to support the spacecraft engineering team. The Harness Design Engineer will also collaborate with systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and assembly, integration, and test (AIT) teams to ensure seamless integration of harness systems into our spacecraft.

This role emphasizes electrical engineering principles, including wiring diagram development, interface definition, and electrical system architecture interpretation, while supporting the full lifecycle of harness engineering from design to fabrication and integration.

• Design and develop electrical harness systems for spacecraft, including connector and backshell selection, wire selection, shielding, and routing.
• Generate wiring diagrams, pinout tables, and interface definitions for harness systems based on spacecraft interconnect diagrams.
• Collaborate with systems engineering to interpret system architecture and define electrical interfaces.
• Create and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs) for harness systems in the product lifecycle management (PLM) tool.
• Develop and maintain fabrication drawings and documentation for harness systems using tools such as Capital Essentials, NX, and Teamcenter.
• Support harness fabrication processes, ensuring compliance with space-grade standards and industry best practices.
• Define and verify harness acceptance criteria, including electrical testing and inspection.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and AIT) to ensure proper integration of harnesses into spacecraft.
• Electrical Engineering responsibilities:
• Perform electrical design and analysis to ensure harness systems meet performance, reliability, and manufacturability requirements.
• Support electrical system schematics and harness design documentation.
• Participate in design reviews, providing technical input and ensuring harness designs meet program requirements.
• Troubleshoot and resolve electrical issues related to harness systems during fabrication, integration, and testing.

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering; or other engineering degree
• 8+ years of electrical engineering or avionics experience

• Master’s or PhD in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering; or other engineering degree
• Experience in the aerospace/defense industry
• Experience supporting satellite development programs and satellite operations
• Proficiency in…