Lead Component Manufacturing & Test Engineer

$95,000 - $155,000/Yr

Rocket Lab USA - Long Beach, CA

Full-time - Mid Level

Long Beach, CA

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

About the position

The Lead Component Manufacturing and Test Engineer at Rocket Lab is responsible for transforming fluid component designs into practical applications, ensuring they meet the rigorous standards required for the Electron and Neutron programs. This role involves creating innovative test systems, overseeing product introductions, and providing mentorship to team members, all while collaborating closely with quality teams to enhance product reliability and performance.

Responsibilities

• Create and commission innovative test systems that incorporate mechanical, fluid, and electrical components.
• Oversee introduction and implementation of new products and product revisions.
• Own assembly, checkouts, and development testing of components.
• Provide mentorship and training to team members.
• Lead problem containment and root cause/corrective action investigations when required.
• Quickly analyze and resolve manufacturing discrepancies and non-conformances.
• Collaborate with the quality team to identify and drive quality-related initiatives and improvements.
• Perform structured root cause analysis of in-process failures.
• Identify, plan, and execute capital equipment, machine, and layout upgrades to meet production requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other technical field.
• 5+ years experience troubleshooting valves, actuators, regulators, or similar fluid components during assembly, functional checkouts, or while undergoing development and qualification testing.
• Experience developing and building safe, high pressure, pneumatic, hydrostatic, and cryogenic test stands.
• Experience with instrumentation, controls, and data acquisition systems.

Nice-to-haves

• 4+ years' experience with aerospace component design, build & testing.
• Experience successfully leading a team through a challenging technical project or program.
• Previous history of planning, building, activating & operating component test stands for development, qualification, and production acceptance testing.
• Extensive experience using fundamentals of fluid and structural mechanics to solve component issues in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with LabVIEW, Python, C, C++, MATLAB.

Benefits

• Top tier medical HMO, PPO & a 100% company-sponsored medical HSA plan option.
• Dental and vision coverage.
• 3 weeks paid vacation and 5 days sick leave per year.
• 11 paid holidays per year.
• Flexible spending and dependent care savings accounts.
• Paid parental leave.
• Disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• Discounted employee stock purchase program.
• Subsidized EV charging stations.
• Onsite gym, food and drinks, childcare concierge, and other discounts.