{"id":640249,"url":"https://alion.io/job/rocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment","title":"Team Lead - Radio Frequency Engineer (Ground Segment)","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":81,"open_postings":77,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.779,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":39,"computed_at":"2026-10-10T05:45:15Z"}},"role":"Leadership","role_family":"Leadership","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Auckland, New Zealand"],"countries":["NZ"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":94000,"max_usd":241000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":1568},"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Python","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-05-04T22:20:33Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-01","last_verified_at":"2026-10-10T23:19:49Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":159,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":158},"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.\nAt Rocket Lab, we don’t just launch rockets, we build the systems that keep them talking to Earth. Our ground segment is the unseen backbone behind every mission, manoeuvre, and satellite. When the signal has to be rock-solid, our RF team makes sure it never drops.\nWe’re looking for an RF Team Lead - Ground Segment in Auckland, New Zealand, ready to take on a role where mission success depends on the systems you lead.\nABOUT THE ROLE:\nThis is your chance to own and evolve the RF ground segment that powers Rocket Lab’s launch and space operations\nYou’ll lead a sharp, hands-on team of engineers and technicians who design, build and maintain our global RF ground station networks\nYou’ll lead a sharp, hands-on team of engineers and technicians who design, develop, and operate our global RF communications and navigation systems. Ground stations, network architecture, real-time mission support, you’ll sit right where engineering precision meets mission urgency\nIf you want a role where the pace is high, the problems are hard, and your decisions matter immediately, this is it\nWHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:\nSet direction, coach high performance, and grow capability across a team running critical RF infrastructure.\nOwn ground station systems end-to-end: RF performance, network architecture, modems, mission interfaces\nDrive development, commissioning, and upgrades across a global ground station network\nPartner with SpaceOps to ensure every system is mission-ready and every link performs flawlessly\nCollaborate across engineering, operations, programs, and external partners to deliver seamless ground segment solutions\nShape strategy, roadmap new tech, and support business growth with RF expertise\nYOU’LL BRING:\nBachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Communications Engineering, RF Engineering, or equivalent \n7+ years of relevant technical and team lead experience\nStrong RF communications system design experience (cascaded device analysis, link budgets, modulation and coding selection)\nStrong RF test experience and experience using RF test equipment (VNAs, spectrum analysers), including unit level (e.g. LNA, SSPA) and full system testing\nProven experience leading RF teams in fast-moving environments, mentoring, motivating, and delivering under pressure\nSolid RF fundamentals, link budgets, cascaded analysis, modulation/coding\nStrong experience with RF test tools (VNAs, spectrum analysers, system-level testing)\nA systems engineering mindset: requirements, validation, documentation, operational readiness\nPractical knowledge of IP networking and real-world RF deployment\nBONUS POINTS:\nPython or LabVIEW for test automation\nNetworking certifications (e.g., CCNA)\nFamiliarity with CCSDS standards or frequency licensing\nWHY ROCKET LAB:\nWork on systems that support real missions to space\nLead a team with genuine ownership and autonomy\nJoin a company that builds fast, iterates often, and delivers big\nSolve high-impact engineering challenges every day\nIf you're ready to lead from the front and build the RF backbone that keeps space missions connected, we want to hear from you.\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":6409,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-10T20:00:17Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":8,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.3,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":158,"expected_fill_days":39,"reasons":["conf:2","stale_co","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-10T05:45:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/rocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/rocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-11T01:09:11Z","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","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1664,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":3336,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-12T00:00:00Z"}},"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%2Frocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment"},{"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%2Frocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment"},{"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%2Frocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment"},{"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/rocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Frocketlab-team-lead-rf-ground-segment"}]}