Senior Vehicle Integration Engineer - Tube Shop

Senior Vehicle Integration Engineer – Tube Shop

Join Rocket Lab as a Senior Vehicle Integration Engineer in our Tube Shop, located at the Space Structures Complex production facility in Middle River, MD.

Rocket Lab is an end‑to‑end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more—opening access to space for scientific exploration, Earth observation, climate change missions, national security, and new technology demonstrations.

• Develop the tube shop from the ground up and own fabrication processes from concept through production.
• Develop, implement, and maintain weld schedules.
• Qualify new processes and transition products from design to production.
• Resolve manufacturing discrepancies by collaborating with design engineering, production, and quality teams.
• Support day‑to‑day production of tubes, sub‑assemblies, and hardware integration.
• Plan and execute capital equipment, machine, and layout upgrades to meet volume production demands.
• Identify, plan, and implement process waste elimination and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering, or related technical degree.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience driving the design, building, testing, manufacturing, or development of mechanical components or systems.
• Direct experience with tube welding in a relevant industry (aerospace, nuclear, or similar).
• Firm understanding of metallurgy governing welding.

• Master’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, systems, or manufacturing engineering.
• Experience with tube fabrication and orbital tube weld schedule development.
• Knowledge of material properties and selection related to welding with common aerospace materials.
• Experience troubleshooting in a dynamic environment.
• Experience with design for manufacturability and assembly.
• Expertise in welding, machining, and coating processes.
• Knowledge of chemistry, engineering, fluid dynamics, and mechanics of materials.
• Experience conducting pressure and leak testing (helium mass spectrometers, flow meters, pressure transducers, thermocouples).
• Experience performing PFMEAs.
• Familiarity with CAD and GD&T.

• Strong vision and the ability to focus, with close, distance, peripheral, and depth perception.
• Requires sitting, using hands and fingers, operating a computer keyboard and controls, and communicating verbally and in writing.
• Ability to commute to buildings regularly.
• Occasional exposure to dust, fumes, and moderate noise levels.

Base Pay Range (MD Only): $120,000 — $150,000 USD.

Base salary is part of a comprehensive rewards package that may include company equity. Benefits include top‑tier medical (HMO, PPO, 100% company‑sponsored HSA), dental and vision coverage, paid vacation (3 weeks) and sick leave (5 days), 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, a company‑matched 401(k) plan, a discounted employee stock purchase program, and onsite snacks/drinks.

Rocket Lab is on a mission to unlock the potential of space and improve life on Earth. Success requires hard work, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving the seemingly impossible. We thrive under pressure, meet tight deadlines, and focus on delivering results.

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab.

To comply with U.S. government export regulations, Rocket Lab employees must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or otherwise authorized under U.S. statutes. Applicants requiring accommodations for the application process should contact Giulia Johnson at