Spacecraft Operations Engineer II

ABOUT ROCKET LABRocket 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.

SPACE SYSTEMSAt 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 SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS ENGINEER IIBased on site at Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA the Spacecraft Operations Engineer II is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, and optimal performance of a growing fleet of satellites while meeting mission objectives and SLAs for both commercial and government customers.

This includes supporting diverse missions such as LEO constellations, interplanetary exploration, LEO rendezvous, and SDA-related deployments. Your expertise would be critical during commissioning, orbit raising, routine operations, and potentially re-entry phases, ensuring the health and safety of Rocket Lab’s expanding fleet. The Spacecraft Operations team works closely with related teams, such as spacecraft design, AIT, flight software, propulsion, GNC, flight dynamics and ground software development to help improve both the ground and satellite-based capabilities over time.

The space operations experience at Rocket Lab is unique because you will cover a multitude of roles/positions and responsibilities, with the large majority of the technical products being supplied through the vertical integration/in-house.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

Leverage automation as a key enabler to operate spacecraft, focusing on software-driven solutions for efficient and reliable mission execution

Design, develop and test ground software for long term space operations: ground scripting for robust and automated ops Design, develop and test flight software sequences and FDIR/telemetry configuration to ensure spacecraft health and fault management through software-driven processes

Maintain the continuous integration and testing of our operational code Ensure the on-call or shifts of operations

Develop test methods and data analysis

Develop interface specifications, CONOPS, and other design documents

Run validation against spacecraft simulation tools: flatsat, HITL, etc. Support AIT teams across multiple spacecraft integrated tests (TVAC, propulsion stack, DITL)
Perform requirements validation and verification for subsystems and spacecraft missions

Generate and maintain requirements for spacecraft Missions including the creation and disposition

Provide program and product support to team leads and program managers and be a key technical interface between the Auckland, NZ and Long Beach, USA engineering teamsYOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS AS A SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS ENGINEER II:

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (software, computer,…