Senior Manufacturing Engineer

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. ABOUT THE ROLE Manufacturing Engineering powers Rocket Lab’s factories from concept to full-scale production. We turn early ideas into manufacturable designs, build and optimise the systems that make them real, and constantly push for faster, better, smarter ways to build. We engineer the factories that build the rockets, boosting quality, cutting cost, and accelerating build rate. We're seeking experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineers across multiple disciplines to take ownership of complex products, lead problem-solving initiatives, and drive manufacturing excellence. THE OPPORTUNITIES: We're hiring across four key manufacturing disciplines: Assembly & Integration – Mechanical, Assembly, Propulsion, Mechanical Test Avionics & Test – Electronics manufacturing, electrical test, debugging systems Composites – Advanced materials, resins, ablatives, sandwich structures Machining – CNC programming, precision manufacturing, GD&T In your application, please indicate which discipline(s) align with your experience and interests. YOU’LL GET TO: Own & Ship: Own products in production as the go-to expert Drive teams to hit production targets at top quality Execute product improvements and design qualifications Solve & Fix: Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions on failures Disposition non-conformances on flight hardware using engineering judgment and risk assessment Bridge production, quality, supply chain, and design engineering for rapid problem-solving Build & Improve: Create bulletproof production procedures and processes Design reliable assemblies and test fixtures Develop mission-critical test methods for safety-critical systems Champion Lean/Six Sigma continuous improvement Lead & Scale: Drive design reviews as DFM/DFT expert Launch new products and revisions into production Plan and execute capital equipment upgrades with business cases Implement planning, quality, ERP, and data systems Mentor & Deliver: Train engineers and production teams Break down complex projects and deliver on time Establish and execute project plans autonomously Maintain product manuals and lessons-learned docs WHAT YOU BRING: The Must-Haves: Engineering degree (Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Chemical, Materials, or related) 5+ years manufacturing/production/process engineering in the trenches Well-tested debugging complex systems on the factory floor You ship results independently and lead teams to do the same You influence stakeholders, assess risk fast, and implement lasting solutions Thrive in high pressure environments – can hustle and built for speed Your Specialty (one or more): Avionics & Test: Expert-level debugging of electro-mechanical systems, instrumentation (oscilloscopes, power supplies, sensors, serial devices) Composites: Deep knowledge of resins, ablatives, sandwich structures, tooling, and manufacturing processes Machining: Advanced GD&T, inspection methods, CAM software (3/5-axis CNC), 3+ years shop experience Assembly & Integration: Led mechanical assembly, integration, propulsion, or mechanical test operations Extra Edge: Aerospace/defence/high-reliability manufacturing background Lean/Six Sigma certified ERP/PLM systems (Siemens TeamCenter, Infor LN) DFMEA, PFMEA, Fault Tree, root cause/corrective action expert SPC, capacity modelling, value stream mapping Environmental testing (vibe, shock, thermal, vacuum) Mentored or led engineers WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU: You own it. Problems become solutions. Documentation gets done. Projects ship on time. You communicate clearly, lead when needed, support teammates always, and show up ready to build the future. <span