Combustion Devices Engineer

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

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.

Rocket Lab’s Neutron team is responsible for bringing our new large rocket Neutron and its launch and test sites to life. From designing and testing Neutron’s structures and components, to firing up its new Archimedes engines, to setting up Neutron’s launch pads and test sites across the United States, joining the Neutron team is your opportunity to help launch a new large rocket for the very first time.

Based out of Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA, the Combustion Devices Engineer will be responsible for the development of one or more combustion devices (preburners, main injectors, thrust chambers assemblies and vacuum nozzles). These devices are an integral portion of the 200,000 lbf Archimedes engine, which operates in a demanding but efficient ox-rich, staged combustion architecture.

In this role, you’ll take ownership of all aspects of a component: design and analysis, manufacturing and test support, and successful flights and subsequent, high-cadence, re-flights. By doing so, you will help propel the Neutron rocket, expanding human capabilities in space and providing value to the company and its shareholders.

• Design, analyze, and perform trades studies to achieve programmatic targets.
• Define requirements, test and flight qualification plans.
• Work with the interface owners, like turbo machinery and engine systems teams, to make a high-end product that could be iterated fast and seamlessly.
• Work with manufacturing and build engineers to design easily manufacturable, cost-effective, beautiful parts.
• Work with the test and launch teams to interpret data and provide solutions to enable a high cadence – of tests, flights and re-flights.

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or equivalent
• In-depth knowledge of combustion and fluid dynamics, heat transfer and structural mechanics.
• Fundamental understanding of design principals and manufacturing methods.

• Master’s or a PhD.
• Advanced proficiency in NX, ANSYS Mechanical, StarCCM, MATLAB and GD&T.
• Proficiency in niche software like: TDK, ROCCID, PERCORP, CEA, ROCETS.
• Reacting flow CFD.
• Expertise in high-speed data/video analysis in time and frequency domains.
• Experience with designing reusable, propulsively landing rocket engines.
• Experience in an iterative and scrappy development environment.

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas

Anticipated annual equity grant value is designed around function, level, experience, and other factors; realized value depends on vesting and stock-price performance.

Join one of the world's fastest-growing space companies and own a piece of it. In addition to competitive base pay,
you'll receive company stock as part of your total compensation package
, giving you a direct stake in our success. As we expand to new launch sites, groundbreaking missions, and global markets, your ownership has the opportunity to grow alongside the company.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes our industry-leading 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…