Rocket Lab · 2 hours ago
Spacecraft Materials Engineer II/ Senior Spacecraft Materials Engineer I
Long Beach, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$100K/yr - $145K/yr
2+ years expRocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services and spacecraft design. They are seeking a Spacecraft Materials Engineer II/ Senior Spacecraft Materials Engineer I to develop and characterize new materials for space vehicles, providing robust solutions and leading technical development efforts.
AerospaceManufacturingSoftwareSpace Travel
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Develop and characterize new coatings to enable superior thermal management and mechanism design
Provide robust materials solutions to be used on space vehicles through research, testing, and qualification - leading efforts using the materials testing facility
Serve as the technical authority for materials and related processes and provide section guidance on materials, process specifications, fracture control, evaluate and select polymers, coatings, metallics, based on the space environment and material interactions/ degradation
Develop and qualify new manufacturing processes relating to material development, coating applications, composites, and other material forming technologies
Work hand in hand with design and manufacturing to troubleshoot and lead root cause investigations in a timely manner and drive design change
Design and execute testing to characterize material properties to generate material allowables for inform spacecraft design and analysis
Author and maintain material specifications and process specifications to ensure robust and repeatable manufacturing outcomes, including but not limited to cleaning specifications and various bonding specification
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in material science, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline
2+ years of professional experience in a materials engineering role
Hands-on experience with materials testing, research-based work, and root cause investigations
U.S citizenship is required, due to program requirements
Bachelor's degree in material science, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline
5+ years of professional experience in a materials engineering role
Hands-on experience with materials testing, research-based work, and root cause investigations
Experience writing and maintaining process and or material specifications
U.S citizenship is required, due to program requirements
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus
Regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, operate computer keyboard and controls, and communicate verbally and in writing
Must be physically able to commute to buildings
Occasional exposure to dust, fumes and moderate levels of noise
Preferred
Master's Degree or PhD in materials engineering, polymer science, or a related field
Deep understanding of testing methods for metals, polymers, coatings, etc. as it relates to fracture mechanics, fatigue analysis, and ability to generate design allowables
Strong knowledge of space environments, testing, and qualifying materials for these environments
Strong knowledge of thermal coatings, testing, performance, effects from the space environment
Experience in contamination and control, in regards to spacecraft cleanliness
Demonstrated track record of being able to succeed in a rapidly growing, fast-paced, and highly demanding environment
Strong interpersonal skills, exceptional documentation and communication ability, and enthusiasm for working in an interdisciplinary role
Comfortable with ambiguity while tackling the hottest problems with a high amount of autonomy
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
Other discounts
Company
Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is an aerospace company that provides launch services, spacecraft design, and manufacturing of satellite components.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$1.98BKey Investors
Canadian Space AgencyU.S. Department of CommerceTrinity Capital
2025-12-09Grant
2025-09-15Post Ipo Equity· $750M
2024-11-25Grant· $23.9M
Leadership Team
Adam Spice
Chief Financial Officer
Frank Klein
Chief Operations Officer
Recent News
2026-01-23
2026-01-23
Company data provided by crunchbase