People Matter

Avionics Test Engineer II

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab

Quality Assurance
Auckland, New Zealand
Posted on Monday, January 9, 2023

About The Role

Rocket Lab is a vertically integrated provider of small launch services, satellites, and spacecraft components. Our mission is to open access to space to improve life on Earth. Our team is over 1,500 people strong and we’re adding to it every week. Collaboration is at our core – every idea is heard, and everyone makes a difference. Teams are nimble, decisions are made quickly, and we are action oriented.

As a member of the Avionics Test group, you will be on the front-line of cutting-edge avionics hardware development. You will have the unique opportunity to support the creation, test, and deployment of avionics hardware and systems that go into orbit. This includes but is not limited to flight computers, power electronic systems, high-voltage components, FPGAs, RF systems, and components used in guidance, navigation, and control. Our fundamental goal is to ensure our payloads reach orbit on time, every time. Your role working with avionics hardware is critical to this mission, and the main line of defence to ensure the quality and reliability in a fast-paced production environment.

Role Specific

  • Develop, plan, and execute test campaigns for avionics components, including computing modules, RF components, flight termination components, and high-voltage components and systems; starting from initial requirements through, final delivery, and ensuring test requirements are fully met.
  • Collaborate with design engineers and external customers to generate and document test requirements, based on system functional requirements.
  • Perform hands-on troubleshooting during component bring-up, integrations and operations. Work with design teams to troubleshoot test failures on the bench and in the field.
  • Conduct root-cause failure investigations for avionics and battery hardware, utilising first-principles analysis of electronic or high-voltage systems.
  • Conduct the development and verification of analytical and empirical models for electrical systems, including electronic or battery modelling.
  • Provide guidance to production technicians and manufacturing engineers to diagnose and rectify avionics / high voltage testing issues on the production line.
  • Proactively identify competing test priorities or requirements and provide recommendations to de-conflict schedules or requirements.
  • Complete component risk analysis, failure mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA), implement design for test, and perform root-cause analysis of test anomalies.
  • Review system-level test data from integrated testing, stage testing, and launch, including the development of automation tools for data analysis

Essential Skills

  • Bachelor’s degree in an applicable engineering field or equivalent professional experience.
  • Proven trouble-shooting skills and the ability to make recommendations based on limited data.
  • Demonstrated good engineering judgement, looking at all available options to solve a problem. Ability to work in fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere.
  • Firm understanding of electrical test equipment, test procedures, data acquisition systems.
  • Firm understanding of instrumentation, interfaces and sensors including power supplies, oscilloscopes, serial devices, switch topologies, accelerometers, thermocouples, RTDs, and 4-20mA sensors.
  • Understanding of designing hardware from concept through production.
  • Firm understanding and experience in environmental design testing, such as vibration, shock, thermal, and TVAC.
  • 4+ years of experience with hardware development or electronics test engineering.
  • 3+ years of programming experience in a language such as C, C++, Python, or Matlab

Important information:

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15) or eligible to obtain the required authorizations fromthe U.S Department of State.

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.

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.

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