Principal Electrical Engineer

About this role

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, 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.

PRINCIPAL ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Rocket Lab’s Optical Systems division solves mission-critical space domain and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) challenges for Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) customers. Our vision is to revolutionize the space-based payload market with innovative and novel designs for space, terrestrial, and airborne environments. Building on more than 20 years of electro-optical and infrared systems innovation from Geost, Optical Systems delivers solutions to the warfighter for responsive, scalable sensing solutions across all orbital domains.

As a Principal Electrical Engineer based at Rocket Lab’s site in Tucson, AZ, you will have the opportunity to support the utilization, career growth, and well-being of engineers in the Electrical Engineering functional group in addition to supporting programs as an individual contributor (approximately 80% individual contributor support and 20% functional management). An ideal applicant will possess a strong technical background in electrical engineering in addition to excellent leadership skills. With the support of the broader team, they will deliver fully validated systems that meet program specifications on cost, schedule, and quality targets. Join a driven team of pioneers relentlessly tackling challenging projects, delivering on the impossible, and making an impact on the future of space!

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

• Team Leadership: Manage and lead a team of electrical engineers by fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment. Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and support the professional development of team members

• Develop a professional engineering team culture to meet deadlines and uphold personal accountability

• Functional Budgeting: Manage the functional budget, generate ROI assessments for discretionary efforts such as process improvements or tool development, and control overhead charging rates to specified levels

• Technical Guidance: Provide expert guidance and mentorship to the electrical engineering team by offering insights and solutions to complex technical challenges

• Stay updated with the latest advancements in electrical engineering technology and guide the team in adopting best practices and innovative approaches

• Act as core assessor in engineering gate reviews and peer review events to ensure work quality and task closure

• Electrical Design and Analysis: Lead and participate in the design, analysis, and optimization of electrical systems for space applications

• Use software tools, simulations, and analytical techniques to assess electrical design performance, and quality, power management, impedance matching, as well as digital, high frequency and nodal analysis

• Determine the architecture and lead the detailed electronics analysis and design using both digital and analog circuit design skills

• Collaboration: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including mechanical engineers, optical engineers, and systems engineers to ensure seamless integration of electrical systems into satellite platforms

• Foster effective communication and teamwork across departments

• Documentation, Reporting, and Writing: Prepare technical reports, project documentation, technical proposals, and presentations to communicate progress, findings, and recommendations to internal stakeholders and external partners

• Mission Assurance: Implement and support rigorous quality control measures throughout the electrical engineering process to ensure compliance with industry standards and customer requirements

• Design for Manufacturing: Establish processes and design guidelines to support seamless handoff to production and long-term production scaling

• Metrics Tracking: Develop and measure a strong set of metrics for engineering development activities

• Risk Management: Identify and assess potential risks and challenges in electrical design and development projects

• Develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans to minimize project disruptions and ensure successful outcomes

YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering; or other engineering discipline

• 12+ years of electrical hardware experience

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance

• Demonstrable experience in electrical engineering, with a strong focus on designing and developing electrical systems for space applications to include all facets of electronics design including high level architectural development, low level design of high speed, analog and digital printed circuit boards that will include interfacing…