Neutron | Senior Avionics Test Engineer
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
While other companies talk about it, we do it!
About the role
The purpose of the Senior Avionics Test Engineer role is to characterize how electronic circuits behave under the harshest of conditions and make critical decisions to approve use of electronic components on the Neutron launch vehicle and ground support equipment alike.
You will be responsible for developing novel and streamlined test systems for mission-critical avionics and software and see this through to the production line. Your role includes the development of new test systems from the ground up and putting Neutron Avionics components through rigorous campaigns qualifying them for spaceflight.
This includes but is not limited to flight computers, batteries, guidance, navigation, and control components leveraging mixed domain and power electronics. 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 of Avionics components in a fast-paced production environment.
Essential skills
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or other engineering discipline.
- 5+ years relevant industry experience.
- 5+ years of experience with hardware development or electronics test engineering.
- Proficiency in working to standards that cover environmental design testing, such as vibration, shock, thermal, EMI/EMC and TVAC.
- Proficiency with high accuracy calibration techniques and limitations.
- Proficiency in analysing circuits and developing functional test plans.
- Proficiency in understanding design principles, and manufacturing techniques to analyse and improve test coverage.
- Understanding of instrumentation, interfaces and sensors including power supplies, oscilloscopes, serial devices, switch topologies, accelerometers, thermocouples, RTDs, and 4-20mA sensors.
Desired Skills
- 3+ years of programming experience, preferably in Python, LabView, or C/C++
- Familiarity with National Instruments platforms including DAQ, PXI, and cRIO.
- Familiarity with relevant test standards such as SMC-S-016, SMC-S-018, DO160, MIL-STD-461 etc.
- Experience developing automated in-circuit test platforms such as Bed-of-Nails.
- Experience with testing of safety circuits and High Voltage DC components.
Rocket Lab Employee Benefits
- The opportunity to work on innovative and groundbreaking technology.
- An employee stock purchase program
- Access to world leading experts to develop your career.
- Unlimited barista coffee, fruit, and snacks
- Rocket Lab merchandise – T-shirts, mission patches etc.
- Discounted health insurance with Southern Cross
- Additional parental leave entitlements
- A vibrant team culture with social activities throughout the year
If the above sounds like you apply now!
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.