Senior Program Manager I - Laser Communications

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket 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.

SPACE SYSTEMS

At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets - we’re building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, laser communication terminals, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space - our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER I - LASER COMMUNICATIONS

Laser communication is the backbone of the constellations of today and tomorrow, and demand for it is growing fast. We are scaling industry-leading optical communication terminals to meet it: high-performing, affordable, and available at the volume commercial and government constellation operators need. Based at Rocket Lab’s global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, you are the customer’s champion and the delivery lead for our optical communication terminal programs. You own the customer outcome: the day-to-day relationship, delivery commitments and schedule at rate, milestone and acceptance reviews, risk, and program health. You build on a proven, standard terminal product and partner closely with our Product team on configuration, pricing, and new customer needs. You’ll work alongside the teams that build the spacecraft, the components, and the rockets, so the people you need to solve a problem are down the hall, not under another contract. This is a high-impact, customer-facing role: you connect the customer, our engineering teams, the production line, and the business across two continents, and you’re the person our customers count on.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

Lead Delivery: Lead terminal programs from award through qualification, production at rate, delivery, and on-orbit checkout, across current-generation production and next-generation variants. Hold each program to its plan and deliver on schedule, technical performance, and every customer commitment.

Lead the Team of Teams: Run multiple concurrent customer programs, work closely with Chief Engineers on link performance, data rate, SWaP, environmental qualification, and optical terminal interoperability, and dive in personally on the problems that matter most to delivery.

Deliver at Rate: Own each program’s delivery profile and protect it. Spot yield, supplier, and test-capacity risk early and drive it to closure with Operations and the Product team.

Forge the Supply Chain: Partner with Supply Chain to manage critical suppliers as strategic partners, building the relationships and accountability that keep every customer delivery on schedule.

Run the Program Lifecycle: Own program startup and baselining, milestone and qualification reviews, export and ITAR obligations with Trade Compliance, customer acceptance, and closeout across our U.S. and European sites.

Champion the Customer: Be the trusted point of contact for customers through milestone reviews, interoperability campaigns, acceptance, and delivery. Partner with BD & Strategy on proposals and with the Product team on pricing and configuration, bringing the voice of the customer to every decision.

Raise the Bar: Mentor the people around you, set a high standard for how we show up for customers, and help develop the program leaders who will run our next generation of laser communications programs.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS AS SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER I:

Engineering Foundation: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or Math.

Technical Depth: Working understanding of free-space optical or RF communications: link budgets, pointing, acquisition, and tracking, modems and coding, and space or airborne environmental qualification.

5+ years i n space, aerospace, or photonics hardware programs, with multiple full program cycles. We weight the hardest thing you’ve shipped over the count.

Customer Delivery: A track record of leading a complex hardware program to delivery (customer, schedule, risk, and acceptance) and carrying it across the finish line under real pressure.

Production Delivery: Evidence you’ve moved real hardware from prototype to qualified, rate-production delivery to customers.

Program Financials: Experience managing program cost, EAC, and customer contract changes in partnership with finance and product teams on a program of meaningful scale.

Proof Point: You’ve delivered hardware at rate to a demanding customer and kept their trust through a hard moment, such as a slip, a test failure, or a contract change.

Clearance: U.S. Person status required (ITAR/EAR); ability to obtain a security clearance preferred.

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

Domain Authority: Direct experience with optical inter-satellite links or optical ground or airborne terminals.

Production Velocity: A proven playbook for taking low-volume, hand-built optical or electro-optical hardware into high-rate production without sacrificing reliability.

Constellation Fluency: Experience delivering to large commercial or defense constellation programs.

Customer Leadership: Experience as the primary customer interface for constellation operators or satellite primes, from kickoff through acceptance.

Global Leadership: Experience leading program work across geographically dispersed sites, including export-control and dual-use compliance.

Advanced Technical Credibility: A Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Optics/Photonics, Physics, or a related field.

Systems & Toolchain Fluency: You speak systems engineering (trade studies, interface control, requirement integrity) and use Jira, Confluence, and ERP/MRP to keep program health visible at speed.

AI Fluency: You put AI tools to work in day-to-day program management, from schedule and risk analysis to status reporting and customer communications, so you and your team spend more time on the problems that matter.

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

Anticipated annual equity grant value is designed around function, level, experience, and other factors; realized value depends on vesting and stock-price performance.

Join one of the world's fastest-growing space companies and own a piece of it. In addition to competitive base pay, you'll receive company stock as part of your total compensation package , giving you a direct stake in our success. As we expand to new launch sites, groundbreaking missions, and global markets, your ownership has the opportunity to grow alongside the company.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes our industry-leading Employee Stock Purchase Program (with a 15% discount on company stock), top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, and a zero cost HDHP option with a significant HSA company contribution), dental and vision coverage, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) retirement plan with company match.

Additional perks include subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers (where available), discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on our popular merch store, and a variety of other employee discounts.

Level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Total Compensation (base and equity)

$137,075 - $196,275 USD

Base Salary

$116,800 - $160,600 USD

WHAT TO EXPECT

We’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.

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 Johnson at [email protected]. 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.