Senior Quality Engineer II - Secret Clearance

Senior Quality Engineer II - Secret Clearance

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.

• 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
• Verify supplier and subcontractor implementation of flowed-down requirements through audits, source inspections, NCR/RCCA activity, and performance monitoring
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions using structured methodologies such as 8D, Fishbone, and 5-Why
• Lead and support risk management activities, including FMEA and program risk assessments
• Support and participate in internal, external, customer, and regulatory audits (AS9100, ISO 9001, customer audits)
• Develop, maintain, and utilize Power BI dashboards to analyze and communicate quality performance, trends, risks, and program health metrics (e.g., NCR trends, RCCA aging, FPY, supplier performance)
• Support and leverage Power Apps and SharePoint‑based tools to standardize, automate, and improve quality workflows such as NCRs, RCCAs, inspections, approvals, and data collection
• Prepare and present program quality status, mission assurance metrics, and risk summaries to internal leadership and external customers
• Mentor junior quality engineers and promote a quality‑first, data‑driven culture across the organization
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and other quality‑related tasks as assigned
• Support integration, environmental, and qualification test campaigns by providing quality and mission assurance oversight before, during, and after test execution
• Review and approve test readiness artifacts, quality requirements, and acceptance criteria to ensure compliance prior to test start
• Participate in on‑site and off‑site test campaigns as required to support mission assurance, anomaly resolution, and data review
• Travel as required to support test campaigns, supplier activities, audits, source inspections, and program milestones
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of quality strategy, compliance, and cross‑functional program execution

• Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, or a related technical discipline
• 8+ years of experience in quality engineering within aerospace, defense, or space systems
• Strong working knowledge of AS9100, mission assurance principles, and aerospace quality systems
• Demonstrated experience reviewing contracts, SOWs, and customer requirements and supporting effective requirement flow‑down to internal teams and external suppliers or subcontractors
• Proven experience leading root cause analysis, corrective actions, and risk management activities
• Experience with supplier and subcontractor quality management, audits, and performance metrics
• Experience using Power BI to develop or interpret quality dashboards and performance…