ABOUT ROCKET LAB
Rocket 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 SYSTEMS
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 and precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, including 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 and 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 vertically integrated components that help missions get to space, our world-class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions
PRINCIPAL PROGRAM MANAGER (TS/SCI)
Based at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you serve as the program authority for one of our most sensitive next‑generation mission platforms. You own the technical roadmap and all major programmatic decisions—from the first blank‑sheet prototype through flight qualification and into responsive production. This is a true high‑ownership role: you'll immerse yourself in the operational realities of the warfighter, translate their hardest problems into concrete technical milestones, and become the person the entire program runs on.
WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:
- Command the Lifecycle: Build and lead the team that takes highly maneuverable, time-critical mission platforms from a "blank sheet" concept through qualification, responsive production, and flight, and own the technical roadmap that grows the team's core capabilities.
- Lead the Team of Teams: Run multiple active programs at once, make sound architectural calls with Chief Engineers, navigate the hardest trade-offs in closed-loop guidance and control, on-board autonomy, and propulsion, and personally dive into the most program-threatening problems alongside the team.
- Build the Bench: Grow an engineering culture where strong people take smart, healthy risks and the best idea wins, no matter who it comes from and coach and develop the next generation of program and team leaders.
- Own the P&L: Own the program P&L on a Firm Fixed Price basis: build accurate forecasts, hit revenue and margin milestones on time, prepare credible program and capital budgets, and make defensible Make/Buy decisions.
- Forge the Supply Chain: Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners essential to the mission, protecting schedule and margin.
- Unblock Excellence: Synchronize cross-functional teams across hardware, software, GNC, and mission assurance and clear roadblocks quickly so the team keeps moving at speed and quality stays high.
- Influence the Future: Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned U.S. Government national security customers, and partner with BD & Strategy on proposals and technical narratives that define the next generation of national security mission systems.
YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in physics, math, science, or other technical discipline
- 12+ years of experience in the aerospace/space industry
- 8+ years of technical program management experience
- To excel in this role, you bring depth in at least one of the following domains:
- Prototype‑to‑flight transition — A proven record of taking integrated hardware/software systems from early prototypes to fully qualified, flight‑ready platforms.
- EO/IR and optical payloads — Understanding the nuances of EO/IR sensing, optical payload architectures, or focal plane arrays.
- Production engineering — Familiarity with takt time, line‑of‑balance, design‑for‑manufacturing principles, and learning‑curve economics.
- Manufacturing risk reduction — Experience identifying tooling, supply‑chain, or yield risks and neutralizing them before they impact throughput.
- Advanced sensing and comms — Understanding of RADAR, SAR, or advanced communication system architectures.
- Experience identifying technical, schedule, or supply-chain risk and neutralizing it before it impacts the mission
- Active TS/SCI clearance
THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:
- Production Velocity: A playbook for transitioning low-volume prototypes into responsive production without sacrificing mission reliability.
- Domain Authority: Deep experience navigating National Security Space (NSS) and the most time-critical mission sets.
- Capture & Customer: Demonstrated success negotiating, capturing, and executing large U.S. Government contracts.
- Advanced Technical Credibility: A master's degree in engineering or a related field that lets you peer-review technical roadmaps.
- Systems & Toolchain Fluency: You speak Systems Engineering — trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity — and use Jira, Confluence, and ERP to keep program health visible at speed.
This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We're on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that's not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other's backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.
Important information:
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.
Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment 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, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at [email protected].This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:
For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.
