Senior Engineer, Turbomachinery
Rocket Lab
About The Role
Rocket Lab
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.
Life at Rocket Lab
NEUTRON
Neutron is a medium lift launch vehicle capable of delivering the mega constellations of tomorrow, high assurance payloads, and human spaceflight. As a highly reusable launch platform, Neutron will deliver a highly cost-effective and reliable launch solution leveraging Rocket Lab’s proven execution history with the Electron program. If you’re interested in joining a high performing team, pushing the boundaries with a clean sheet development of re-usable liquid launch vehicle, this is your opportunity!
Senior Engineer, Turbomachinery
The Senior Engineer, Turbomachinery position is based out of Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA. This role is responsible for the design and development of the turbomachinery hardware for the Archimedes engine and will provide the opportunity for full life cycle ownership of clean sheet turbopump design. You will support the Neutron and Archimedes teams, with deliverables required for internal leadership, board of directors, and investors.
WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:
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Responsible engineer of significant turbomachinery components/systems
- Drive design, manufacturing, testing, and flight to meet cost, life, reusability, and reliability milestones
- Work with other teams and other members of turbomachinery team to achieve design goals
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Design and analyze rotating and stationary turbomachinery components in the Archimedes turbomachinery.
- This will include both hydrodynamics, mechanical, secondary systems, and integrated analysis of the turbomachinery
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Support manufacturing of turbomachinery components
- Work with Manufacturing to identify critical capabilities and capital requirements
- Work with Manufacturing team to design components for optimal manufacturability
- Evaluate and resolve manufacturing issues for prototype manufacturing studies as well as at-rate manufacturing
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Support component level and engine level testing.
- Define and drive testing campaigns to ensure performance and reliability requirements are met.
- Work with Test team to ensure test capabilities meet needs for pump requirement verification
- Work with other engine teams to ensure that pump testing needs are enveloped in engine development, qualification, and acceptance testing campaigns
- Ensure testing satisfies certification requirements
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Support flight campaign preparations, flight operations, flight data and hardware review, and reuse campaigns
- Evaluate early flight data to support certification efforts
- Develop and evaluate recurring flight data review templates to monitor hardware health
- As a subject matter expert, help define the methodology used across the company for turbomachinery design, analysis, manufacturing, and test.
- Travel on an occasional basis to engineering offices, test sites, and launch sites to support development of turbomachinery
- Serve as launch site engineering team liaison on an occasional basis for rapid on-site support
YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or discipline or equivalent
- 5+ years of turbomachinery design experience
- Experience with commercial analysis software
- Fundamental understanding of mechanical design principles
THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:
- Proficiency in GD&T
- Professional experience with NX, Ansys,
- Rocket turbomachinery experience
- Experience with best practices for design, qualification and production
- Experience with a scrappy development environment
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to travel and communicate outside of work hours
- Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed
The expected salary range for the position is displayed in accordance with the California Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. Final agreed upon compensation is based upon individual qualifications and experience.
In addition to base salary, Rocket Lab offers a comprehensive total compensation package based on individual qualifications and experience, which may include cash or equity incentives. Employees will also be eligible for medical, dental, vision coverage, 401(k) retirement plan options, and to purchase discounted stock through Rocket Lab's Employee Stock Purchase Program.
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 Biow at g.biow@rocketlabusa.com.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.