Senior Quality Engineer II

Rocket Lab is an end‑to‑end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access space. The rockets and satellites we build, and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations.

Our Electron rockethas become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, all while we work to develop Neutron, our upcoming medium‑lift, reusable launch vehicle for larger constellation deployment. Our Space Systems business designs and builds our extensive line of satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft that have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and components used on the James Webb Space Telescope.

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.

Rocket Lab’s Optical Systems division solves mission‑critical space domain and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) challenges for Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) customers. Our vision is to revolutionize the space‑based payload market with innovative and novel designs for space, terrestrial, and airborne environments. Building on more than 20 years of electro‑optical and infrared systems innovation from Geost, Optical Systems delivers solutions to the warfighter for responsive, scalable sensing solutions across all orbital domains.

As a Senior
Quality Engineer II based at our Optical Systems site in Tucson, AZ, you will play a critical role in ensuring the highest levels of quality, reliability, and mission assurance for advanced space payload programs. In this role, you will lead program‑level quality activities, review and implement contractual and technical requirements, and ensure effective quality flow‑down to internal teams, suppliers, and subcontractors.

Join a driven team of pioneers relentlessly tackling challenging projects, delivering on the impossible, and making an impact on the future of space!

• Act as the quality assurance and mission assurance representative for assigned space programs, ensuring compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal requirements
• Lead program‑level quality planning, execution, and oversight across design, manufacturing, integration, and test phases
• Review customer contracts, statements of work (SOWs), and technical requirements to identify applicable quality, mission assurance, and regulatory requirements
• Ensure effective flow‑down of contractual, quality, and mission assurance requirements to internal implementation through procedures, work instructions, inspection plans, and test documentation
• Review, define, and approve quality and mission assurance flow‑downs for suppliers and subcontractors through purchase orders, subcontracts, quality clauses, and quality notes
• Partner with Supply Chain, Contracts, Engineering, and Program Management to ensure subcontractor SOWs and PO packages include complete and compliant quality requirements
• Verif…