{"id":1597985,"url":"https://alion.io/job/rocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation","title":"Senior Avionics Engineer I - Mission Formulation","company":{"id":684473,"name":"Rocket Lab","domain":"rocketlab.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/rocketlab-2","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":80,"open_postings":77,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.792,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":39,"computed_at":"2026-10-15T05:46:00Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Littleton, United States","Long Beach, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":124000,"max":155000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":155000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-01T15:18:05Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-01","last_verified_at":"2026-10-15T15:56:23Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":14,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":14},"description":"ABOUT ROCKET LAB\nRocket 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.\nSENIOR AVIONICS ENGINEER I - MISSION FORMULATION\nBased out of Rocket Lab's site in Littleton, CO the Senior Avionics Engineer I - Mission Formulation is responsible for developing high-performance launch vehicle systems in support of the Launch Systems Business Development and Strategy team. \nThe Senior Avionics Engineer I - Mission Formulation is an integral part of Rocket Lab’s Global Launch Services (GLS) Mission Formulation Team which works closely with other Engineering teams and Production to bring new launch and mission concepts to life. This team is also responsible for the formulation and implementation of classified missions on HASTE and Electron launch vehicles and play a key role in developing future missions for Electron and Neutron. Given the high launch cadence of Electron and pace of Neutron development, you will have unparalleled opportunities for end-to-end hardware development and seeing your designs reach space.\nWHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:\nPrimary Avionics Design engineering contact to Business Development for proposal and mission concepts, including:Electron and Neutron mission operational concept development\nElectrical and RF design and analysis for unique payload accommodations including processing, vehicle integration, and launch site\nDesigning and documenting electrical schematics, harnesses, and kits, including custom vehicle electrical schematics, and providing detailed pinouts for all electrical interfaces to payloads or deployers.\nWorking with external stakeholders and customers for mission-specific requirements engineering\nDocumenting the proposed avionics design solution and participating in design reviews with the customer\n\nWork with the Rocket Lab Engineering and Production teams to:Develop tools and processes for automating common proposal analysis tasks\nParticipate in program execution of Electron and Neutron system commissioning and calibration\n\nYOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:\nBachelor’s degree in electrical, aerospace engineering or other technical discipline\n5+ years of working experience in engineering\nExperience developing full design solutions for significant avionics or electrical systems in orbital launch vehicle or missile systems\nActive DoD US Government Secret security clearance or, ability to obtain and maintain one\nTHESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE: \nActive TS/SCI clearance\nRapid conceptual design iteration experience\nHands-on development and testing experience: FPGA, ARM processors, etc.\nAbility to take a product from concept through to production with little supervision\nMaster’s or PhD in electrical engineering or aerospace engineering\nExperience with requirements assessments and interface control document generation\nCreative, analytical, good at problem solving\nAbility to work on own initiative and to plan daily workflow to meet higher level tasks\nClear communication skills and calm under pressure\nADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:\nSpecific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus \nRegularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, operate computer keyboard and controls, and communicate verbally and in writing\nMust be physically able to commute to buildings \nOccasional exposure to dust, fumes and moderate levels of noise \nThe expected salary range for the position is displayed in accordance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. Final agreed upon compensation is based upon individual qualifications and experience. \nBase salary is only one part of Rocket Lab’s compensation package for this role. You may be eligible for company stock, or cash incentives, and canpurchase discounted stock through Rocket Lab’s Employee Stock Purchase Program. Employee benefits also include medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage; 401(k) retirement plan options; paid vacation,holidays, and sick leave; paid parental leave; and other discounts and perks. \nBase Pay Range (CO Only)\n$124,000—$155,000 USD\nWHAT TO EXPECT \nWe’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way. \nImportant information:\nFOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:\nTo 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.\nRocket 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.\nApplicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at . 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.\nFOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:\nFor 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. \nUnder 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7282,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Insurance coverage","Parental leave","Retirement plans","Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Launch Services","Satellite Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T18:25:01Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 9 · green card filings: 1","filings_12m":9,"filings_prev_12m":4,"green_card_filings_12m":1,"median_offered_wage_usd":177500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":60,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.599,"p_room":1,"age_days":13,"expected_fill_days":39,"reasons":["conf:1","stale_co","velocity","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-15T05:46:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":155000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/rocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/rocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-15T19:49:58Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":30161,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-16T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":684473},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=684473"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Frocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Frocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Frocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/rocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Frocket-lab-senior-avionics-engineer-i-mission-formulation"}]}