Software Build Engineer

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.

ABOUT ENGINEERING AT ROCKET LAB:

Engineering is the heart of Rocket Lab. We build world-class rockets and spacecraft and we launch them, often.

Every launch is a symphony multiple teams, multiple sites, and dozens of complex systems all playing in time. Software conducts it. At Rocket Lab, our Terrestrial Software team builds and maintains the products behind flight vehicles, spacecraft, launch operations, and production, and we're looking for a Software Build and Automation Engineer to own how all of it gets built, tested, and delivered.

It's hands-on, fast-paced problem solving where rapid innovation meets the highest reliability standards and the pipelines you build put hardware in the sky.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

Build, document, and support the Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery pipelines behind our flight vehicle, spacecraft, operations, and production software, working to direction from your team lead

Support the infrastructure used for stack-test and launch operations

Spot manual processes and automate them for software teams and beyond

Help maintain our Docker and Kubernetes environments, and work with IT on infrastructure needs

Write and maintain software supporting test and mission operations

Document, review code, size tickets, and work as part of an agile team

Some days you're deep in build logs. Others you're sitting with avionics, operations, or production, working out what they need. Both are good days. You'll have an experienced team around you to learn from, and nothing you build here stays theoretical, it's in the loop when we launch.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

3+ years in software development, focused on build, CI, and deployment

Coding experience in a compiled language (C#, C++ or similar)

Git, plus Linux and Windows system administration

A build system such as TeamCity, Jenkins, GitLab CI, Travis CI or TFS CI

Build tooling like make, cmake or automake

Experience building and deploying embedded and desktop software

Familiarity with Jira, Redmine or another issue tracker

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

A degree in software engineering, computer science, or a related field

Scrum experience

Docker or Kubernetes

Web and cloud software build and deployment

Network security

Project management

Provisioning systems such as Chef, Puppet, Salt or Terraform

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.